NSF Approved

H1 lubricants – These lubricants could have incidental food contact with the food and are sometimes referred to as "above the line" lubricants. These may be used on food processing equipment as a protective anti-rust film, as a release agent on gaskets or seals of tank closures, and as a lubricant for machine parts and equipment in locations where the lubricated part is potentially exposed to food such as chains and conveyors. Ingredients for use in H1 lubricants need to be designated HX-1.

H2 lubricants - These are lubricants with no possibility of contacting food. These compounds may be used as a lubricant, release agent or antirust film on equipment and machine parts or in closed systems in locations where there is no possibility of the lubricant or lubricated part contacting edible products.

H3 soluble oils - These products may be applied to hooks, trolleys and similar equipment to clean and prevent rust. The parts of the equipment that contact edible products must be clean and free of the oil before reuse. H3 products may be composed of any of the following:

•           Edible oils (corn oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil) complying with 21 CFR, Section 172.860.

•           Mineral oil complying with 21 CFR Section 172.878.

•           GRAS substances complying with 21 CFR Parts 182 (multi-purpose only) or 184.

Historically, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved incidental food-contact lubricants. This approval relied on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines set out in regulation 21 CFR 178.3570, which defines approved components for use in incidental food-contact lubricants, H1. The USDA authorization program stopped in February 1998, mainly due to lack of resources. Since 1999, NSF International and INS Ltd have been fulfilling the role previously carried out by the USDA. These companies manage registration processes for non-food compounds, including lubricants, used in and around food processing. They continue to rely on the FDA guidelines mentioned previously.

Until recently H1 lubricants often fell short on performance compared to H2 lubricants as the formulator must balance component compliance with performance demands with a limited pool of H1and HX1 registered additives from which to choose from.

Our H1 and HX1 base oils, coupled with new additive packages, can now deliver in many instances a higher performance than many ‘premium’ H2 industrial lubricants.

NiMAC Ltd are now registered (GB 409 E0029) as a supplier to the industry under EC Regulation No 183/2005.