Wall board to be used in food production area

[jackyyhu]

Dear all,

is wall board acceptable to be installed in food production area? according to consultant, the wall board is water resistant, mold resistant, is not affected by termites and other insects, will not burn; and will not rot.

appreciate any reply. thank you very much.

jackie

[harry]

Wall board is a general term. Trust me, there are hundreds of types - so, I don't think anybody can answer your question from the little and general information you provided.

If it is so strongly recommended, verify by asking them to show proof. Such as:
1. Product certification
2. Product testing certificate, catalog/brochures and recommended use.
3. Reference - who else in your area or country are using the same and can you contact these people for reference
4. Local (authority) approval letters if any
5. Any guarantee/warranty

[MIREGMGR]

Normal cleaning processes are water based. My experience in water-solution-cleaned environments is that it's highly desirable to go with a system that is non-cellulosic, rather than "water resistant", because eventually "water resistant" will break down at the edges and joints under the influence of cleaning materials. Cellulosic systems also have greater seasonal dimensional changes due to absorbed-humidity variation.

It's also nice, if possible, to have watertight gasketed joints everywhere, instead of just "close fit" joining systems, to avoid an eventual losing battle with wall-system joint lines that contaminated water can get into but that are too thin to permit effective cleaning.

[jackyyhu]

dear MIREGMGR and harry,

According to the product catalog, the wall board made of portland cement, refined sand, cellulose fibre and water. so far, i only tested the sample by dipped into water for 2 days. the result was good, meaning that no rot and looked like no water penetrate. but will get the information suggested by harry.

my current company is manufacturing dried powder. therefore, our cleaning method to the production wall and ceiling is to wipe by sanitizer weekly (no cleaning with water detergent or rinse with water at all). so, what do you think, MIREGMGR? thanks for the advice.


thanks again,
jackie

[MIREGMGR]

I'm not an expert on food-facility construction practices, but cleanable-wall-surfaces is a generic enough requirement in other industries that maybe I can offer some relevant thoughts.

My experience with cementitious wallboard is that it has good wet-area stability, but doesn't inherently have a smooth, feature-free and waterproof surface that would facilitate wiping clean. I guess your constructors could finish it with additive materials and paint to achieve such a Class A surface, but it seems as if it might be easier to just start with a wall-face material that has such a surface to begin with.

As to the wood fiber that you cite as being present in your candidate wallboard type, if I were making such a choice I'd be doubtful about any presence of cellulosic materials near a sanitary-rated surface, unless there is strong evidence that the material in question has a suitable track record in similar applications.

I appreciate that FDA may not be the applicable regulatory context for your location, but sometimes they offer useful guidelines. As close as I can tell, 21 CFR 110 does not incorporate any relevant regulations for this question, other than the so-obvious-it's-useless requirement that whatever you do, it must be appropriately cleanable/sanitizable. FDA does however have the following guidance document for food preparation facilities, not necessarily aimed at industrial-scale facilities:

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/prev-310.html

[Wes Bucey]

What's so necessary about wallboard (gypsum or cement-mixture)? I've seen some walls in food prep areas (in commercial kitchens) surfaced with a Lexan-type plastic that withstood steam cleaning and the panels were fitted together with a similar adhesive-weld to that used in making large aquariums to provide a smooth junction easy to clean and disinfect.

[Jennifer Kirley]

Requirements vary according to yor location and customers' expectations, but principles remain the same: durability, impervious to water, easy to clean, not prone to cross contamination. Options could include whiterock, wall coatings, and cladding.

I am not affiliated with any of these suppliers, nor am I recommending any of them as specific solutions to fit your exact needs. My best advice would be to use more caution versus less in order to preserve food production cleanliness and safety. The global food market is becoming hypersensitive to this issue.

[jackyyhu]

Dear all,

Thank you so much for your input.