The US Department of Energy lists dehydration, bottling, controls and actuators, conveying, spraying coatings, cleaning and vacuum packing as food industry uses of compressed air; where air touches food, the US rule 21 CFR 117.40(g) requires it to be treated so that food is not contaminated. Ultra Controlo distributes and services Gardner Denver oil-free compressors, ISO Class 0, and makes ULTRASEC and ULTRADRY dryers and ULTRAK carbon towers, which its brochure lists for the food industry.
The US Department of Energy sourcebook lists these example uses of compressed air in the food industry.
The first food industry use in the DOE table.
Bottling lines, the second food industry use in the DOE table.
Valves, cylinders and actuators across the plant.
Moving product and packaging between stations.
Two more food industry uses in the DOE table.
The last food use in the DOE table; see the packaging page for vacuum packaging.
Source: US Department of Energy and Compressed Air Challenge, Improving Compressed Air System Performance: A Sourcebook for Industry, third edition (2016), Table 1.1.
Three sources frame the compressed air that comes into contact with food.
Compressed air or other gases mechanically introduced into food or used to clean food-contact surfaces or equipment must be treated so that food is not contaminated with unlawful indirect food additives.
Source: eCFR, 21 CFR 117.40 Equipment and utensils, paragraph (g).
The Compressed Air Challenge places food and pharmaceutical process air in its process air level, the third of four; the higher the quality, the more the air costs to produce.
Source: Compressed Air Challenge, Fact Sheet #1 (May 2026).
Specifies purity classes of compressed air for particles, water and oil; ISO says it also identifies gaseous and microbiological contaminants, and ISO 8573-7:2003 is the test method for viable microbiological contaminants.
Source: ISO, iso.org.
21 CFR 117.40(g) does not name a purity class. Sources: eCFR; Compressed Air Challenge (2026); ISO.
Equipment that the Ultra Controlo catalogue and brochure, and the partner makers, tie to food and beverage.
Contaminant-free air, ISO Class 0, for pharmaceuticals and food, in the Ultra Controlo catalogue; Gardner Denver lists food and beverage among the applications of its oil-free compressors.
Gardner DenverRefrigerated, with a stable +3 °C dew point, or adsorption, down to −70 °C; the Ultra Controlo brochure lists the food industry for both.
DryersOil vapour removal to below 0.003 mg/m³; the brochure lists the food industry among its uses. A coalescing filter is required upstream.
ULTRAKFor aseptic compressed air in the medical, pharmaceutical and food and beverage sectors, with stainless steel housings and elements developed in accordance with EU 1935/2004, per the maker.
Gardner Denver filtersSources: Ultra Controlo Industrial 2026 catalogue, pp. 12, 17 and 19; Ultra Controlo industrial brochure; ULTRAK datasheet; Gardner Denver, oil-free air compressors page and filter brochure.
Ultra Controlo is a Portuguese manufacturer of compressed air, vacuum and technical gas systems, with 40 years of experience. We design, assemble and test our own compressors, dryers and carbon towers in Portugal, and supply and service five partner brands.
ULTRASCREW compressors, ULTRASEC and ULTRADRY dryers and ULTRAK activated carbon towers.
Gardner Denver, Elmo Rietschle, Thomas, Speck Pumpen (Circutec) and Speck Triplex.
Preventive and corrective maintenance, original spare parts and emergency support, by our own team.
Source: Ultra Controlo Industrial 2026 catalogue, pp. 3, 10, 16, 17 and 22.
The US Department of Energy sourcebook (2016), Table 1.1, lists dehydration, bottling, controls and actuators, conveying, spraying coatings, cleaning and vacuum packing as example compressed air uses in the food industry.
No. 21 CFR 117.40(g) requires compressed air introduced into food or used to clean food-contact surfaces to be treated so that food is not contaminated with unlawful indirect food additives, without naming a purity class.
Not necessarily: the Compressed Air Challenge Fact Sheet #1 (May 2026) says lubricant-free air can also be produced with lubricant-injected compressors that have additional separation and filtration equipment, weighed against the risk and cost of product contamination.
ISO 8573-1:2010 specifies purity classes of compressed air for particles, water and oil; ISO lists it as current, last confirmed in 2017 and to be revised, and ISO 8573-7:2003 is the test method for viable microbiological contaminants.
Its Industrial 2026 catalogue lists Gardner Denver oil-free screw compressors for contaminant-free air, ISO Class 0, for food (p. 12) and the ULTRAK tower for oil vapour removal to below 0.003 mg/m³ (p. 19); its brochure lists ULTRASEC and ULTRADRY dryers for food.
Where the air touches the product, the pressure, the flow and the hours per day. We reply with the equipment that fits.
