The EHEDG Working Group ‘Lubricants’ held a productive face-to-face meeting last week.

Discussions focused on the revision of EHEDG Guideline 23 Part 1, last updated in 2018. This document provides practical guidance on the safe use of food-grade lubricants (H1 & HT1) within the food, beverage, and clean industries. It outlines the risks associated with incidental lubricant contact during production and underscores the importance of hygienic design, HACCP principles, and proper handling practices—from purchasing and storage to application, contamination prevention, and maintenance.

A follow-up meeting is planned for early September to finalise the revision, with the aim of preparing the draft for peer review shortly thereafter.

Once Part 1 is completed and published, the Working Group will move on to revising Guideline 23 Part 2, Production of H1 & HT1 Food Grade Registered Lubricants, also released in 2018. This guideline offers comprehensive direction to lubricant manufacturers, ensuring adherence to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and ISO 21469. It covers every stage of the production chain—raw material selection, manufacturing, packaging, storage, transport, and customer guidance—with a strong focus on third-party registration, labelling accuracy, and lubricant hygiene to maintain the highest standards of product safety and quality.

In the photo below, from left to right, Andrea Cepero (Ferrero), Sofia Öberg (2Probity), Catherine Bourdelle (Lactalis), Pieter van de Schepop (Fuchs Lubricants), Patrick Steijaert (Axel Christiernsson) and the Chair of the EHEDG Working Group ‘Lubricants’, Taco Mets (Van Meeuwen Lubrication)