Taste, quality, and safety are in constant focus in the food and beverage industry. All three factors depend on an often-overlooked ingredient: compressed air/gas. There are integrated compressed air systems that meet the highest standards of quality and safety for your critical applications, including oil-free compressors, nitrogen generators, filtration, and heat pumps. 

The role of compressed air and nitrogen 

For critical applications within food and beverage plants, you need ISO 8573-1 (2010) Class 0 oil-free air to ensure the highest standards of quality and safety and comply with ISO 22000 food safety standards. 

Here’s a few ways in which compressed air and nitrogen are involved in food and beverage manufacturing.

Automation: Compressed air is the driving force that pushes these ingredients along pipes. Oil-free air is the preferred option, as it prevents any risk of oil contamination. This guarantees that the ingredients maintain their purity, untainted by oil, throughout the process.

Fermentation: In the fermentation process for ingredients like citric acid, wine, yogurt, and more, compressed air is crucial. It supplies oxygen to bacteria during fermentation. Even minuscule oil traces can disrupt bacterial activity, leading to substandard products and potential contamination.

Storage and packaging:  Nitrogen, an inert gas, plays a significant role in the storage and packaging of various foods and beverages. It is used to purge oxygen from packages and also in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), creating an inert atmosphere within food packages, extending its shelf life.

Discover Atlas Copco's compressor range for F&B manufacturing

Atlas Copco Process filters for food ingredients 

Choosing the right combination of filters is essential to protect product integrity, meet safety regulations, and support innovation in modern food processing.

Atlas Copco's process filters are available in food-contact compliant materials, tested to meet FDA and EU guidelines. A few examples from Atlas Copco's portfolio:

• Prefiltration: PFP, PFP-A, PFP-B, SFG-G

• Sterile filtration: SME⁺, BME⁺, SME-X⁺, SMV, SMT-G

• Activated carbon: ASC

• Steam filtration: MSS, MPSC

Onsite nitrogen generation

Nitrogen preserves freshness, protects nutrients, and prevents the growth of aerobic microbes. Packaged foods that benefit from the use of nitrogen include fish, nuts, coffee, vegetables and ready-to-eat products. Companies that need nitrogen on a daily basis, stand to gain a lot from on-site generation of this gas.

The benefits include:

1) Lowest total cost per unit of nitrogen produced - improved bottom line
2) No long-term and complex third-party supply contracts – stable and predictable costs to usage
4) Absence of order processing for refills – lower admin/logistics costs
5) Total safety – no large amounts of gas stored on site

Discover Atlas Copco's nitrogen range for F&B manufacturing

How Atlas Copco heat pumps support F&B Processes 

Unlike conventional boilers or cooling systems, heat pumps do not burn fuel to generate heat. Instead, they transfer existing heat from one process to another, reducing energy waste and lowering direct emissions.  
 
In food production, heat pumps can deliver temperatures up to 140°C, making them viable for applications such as drying, sterilization, and heating water. By integrating heat pumps, manufacturers can improve energy efficiency and transition toward lower-carbon production.

Many processes depend on precise temperature control, like pasteurization, drying, and more. Industrial heat pumps improve energy efficiency by repurposing waste heat, reaching temperatures over 100°C (212°F), while reducing fossil fuel use and CO₂ emissions, especially when powered by renewable electricity.

Learn more about Atlas Copco's heat pumps for F&B manufacturing

Setting the standard in F&B

Atlas Copco has set the standard for contamination-free compressed air in the food and beverage industry. With us, you can rely on the largest range of oil free technologies within the industry, knowing that you work with the first air compressor manufacturer to achieve ISO 8573-1 (2010) Class 0 clean air.