010 449 3976
7 Jurg Business Park, Centurion
Email: sales@mosil.co.za

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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If you need help, we have a list of frequently asked questions and answers. Click a topic below to view the question and answer.
1. FOOD GRADE LUBRICANTS
Q. What are MOSIL Food Grade Lubricants?
MOSIL food-grade lubricants are potentially indirect food additives, as they may incidentally come into contact with food items due to leaks, spillages or faults in equipment. All lubricants used in food processing and packaging plants must be food grade.

Q. When is a lubricant food grade?
A lubricant qualifies as food grade when, in the event of a contamination, it is present in no more than 10 mg per kg of the foodstuff in question and must not cause any physiological hazard or affect the food's odour and taste in any way. Food-grade lubricants are special blends of base fluids and additives, and should conform to the erstwhile US FDA standards and registered by NSF International in the H1 category.
 
Q. How safe are MOSIL Food Grade Lubricants in food production?
All products in the MOSIL Food Grade range comply with stringent international standards for food grade lubricants handed down by the NSF International (H1). They are produced in line with the Good Manufacturing Practice and as part of ISO 9001.
 
Q. What are the regulatory standards for food lubricants?
In the absence of any international system to regulate food grade lubricants, the industry has adopted the strict requirements of the US system as international best practice.
 
Q. What is the US system and does MOSIL Food Grade Lubricants comply?
All products in the MOSIL Food Grade range comply with the NSF International (H1), the standard which has replaced previous USDA systems for lubricants where incidental contact with food is likely. MOSIL Food Grade products also comply with the technical qualifications published in the Federal Register, FDA 21 CFR 178.3570, as well as with FDA standards for raw materials used in food grade products (such as lubricants) within the United States, including imports and exports. In addition, MOSIL Food Grade products are manufactured according to the Good Manufacturing Practice and as part of ISO 9001.
 
Q. Does MOSIL Food Grade Lubricants have USDA H1 approval?
There is no obligation for lubricant manufacturers to adhere to the now-defunct USDA H1 rules, nor does the USDA endorse or recognise any past authorizations for food-grade lubricants.
 
Q. What has replaced USDA H1 approval?
NSF (National Sanitary Foundation) International took on the procedures and systems of the USDA H1. It continues to manage the USDA List, which is now known as the NSF White Book of Proprietary Substances and Nonfood Compounds. NSF registration procedures are identical to the former USDA rules, including the classification H1 and H2 products.

Q. On what basis is NSF International H1 approval allocated?
Lubricants are made only from components that have been evaluated and approved by the US FDA and declared safe for use in food processing preparations. The maximum concentration of a lubricant allowed in food is 10ppm. Manufacturers of food grade lubricants described by FDA regulations must also follow Good Manufacturing Practice as a specific quality system.

Q. What is the HACCP system of regulatory standards?
The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point System (HACCP) dates back to the 1960s, when it was developed by the American Space Agency, NASA, in order to make risk-free food for astronauts. NASA identified points where contamination is likely to occur so that appropriate process controls could be implemented during production. That system is now federally mandated in the USA for use as a critical contamination prevention program under the Food Safety Initiative in seafood, meat and poultry processing facilities. The EU also employs the HACCP system to regulate all EU companies involved in handling foodstuffs. In India although HACCP system is not mandatory, good manufacturing units have started adopting to HACCP systems.

Q. What is the legislation on the longevity of food-grade lubricants?
It should be noted that neither the FDA, NSF International nor the EU has made any statements with respect to food-grade lubricants in use. MOSIL recommends that, in the absence of relevant local legislation, the maximum amount of contamination of food itself by a food grade lubricant should be 10 ppm (10 mg/kg) – the same limit set by the FDA for all non-food compounds, regardless of age. At concentrations below this limit MOSIL believes that MOSIL Food Grade Lubricants should not impart undesirable taste, odour or colour to food, nor should they cause adverse health effects.
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Contact Us:

T: +27 10 449 3976
F: +27 65 982 2175
E: sales@mosil.co.za
E: info@mosil.co.za

Address:

Mosil Lubricants Southern Africa
7 Jurg Business Park
C/O Jacaranda & Jurg Street
Centurion, 0157