Risk assessment of a pipework product used for conveying food and beverages

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Client

The Company that manufactures the pipework.

Background

As small amounts of the components of the pipework may migrate into any food or drink conveyed through it, the manufacturer sought reassurance that any ingested chemicals pose no unacceptable health risks to consumers. Due to confidentiality, the manufacturer did not know the full compositional details of the product (as the individual components would be in trade name forms). Bibra was able to identify each component and provide a reassuring, independent opinion on risk.

Project goals

To provide the client with reassurance (which can be passed on to customers and end users) that the pipework product is suitable and safe for conveying food and beverages, and that any migrating chemicals do not pose significant health risks. Bibra toxicologists are experienced and professionally registered (RSB/BTS/ERT), and routinely prepare hazard and risk assessment reports, providing an independent opinion on safety.

Approach

The client provided the contact details of individual suppliers, and described the intended application of the pipework, including surface area and typical foodstuffs and beverages conveyed through it.

Bibra was able to obtain confidential compositional details of the individual components, and to estimate potential exposure to each. After evaluating the toxicological hazards of each chemical, the hazard data were considered alongside “worst-case” exposure assumptions, resulting in a bibra risk assessment.

Project outcome

Bibra was able to give the client an independent, expert opinion on the safety-in-use of the pipework product for conveying food and drink, providing a valuable reassurance over consumer health that the client is able to use for marketing purposes.