Four Truths About ISO 21469 Certified Lubricants

ISO 21469, Safety of Machinery, Lubricants with Incidental Product Contact-Hygiene Requirements
is the one global standard for food-grade lubricants. While management system certifications help drive organizational improvements, ISO 21469 certifications verify compliance with product formulation, manufacturing and packaging requirements.

ISO 21469 certification does assure end users a production facility is ISO 9001 certified as it is a prerequisite for ISO 21469.

ISO 21469 certifications and H1 registrations both involve reviews of product ingredients and labeling; however, ISO 21469 goes one step further by also focusing on the quality control of a product’s manufacture by including:

• On-site validations of formulations
• On-site audits to verify packaging and risk assessment accuracy
• Mandatory product testing
• Additional labeling reviews for enhanced traceability

In addition to food and beverage processors, ISO 21469 certified lubricants are also specified by the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and animal feed industries.

Chemical Risks

Getting food-grade lubricants certified:

• Ensures registered H1 formulation information has not changed
• Confirms that the ingredients on the label are exactly what is in the product

Manufacturing Risks

Going through the certification process:

• Reduces the risk of cross-contamination with other lubricants, additives, thickeners and base oils during production
• Verifies lubricants are produced following Good Manufacturing Practices

Storage/Handling Risks

Certifying food-grade lubricants:

• Mitigates contamination risks and product degradation due to moisture, dirt, dust, airborne particles and temperature variances during storage
• Verifies products are properly stored and not beyond the recommended shelf life
• Ensures products are being transported safely

Food-grade lubricants manufactured in, imported into or exported out of Brazil must be ISO 21469 certified. More and more food and beverage processors worldwide are also specifying ISO 21469 certified lubricants.