As the gatekeeper of food safety, ensuring the equipment at your food processing plant is clean and well-maintained isn’t just a matter of quality control but a matter of public consumer safety and well-being. Some of the essential equipment commonly found in food processing plants include:

• Mixers and blenders
• Conveyor belts
• Ovens and fryers
• Refrigerators
• Packing machines
• Clean-in-Place (CIP) systems
• Grease traps

Industrial-grade food processing equipment possesses an extensive list of maintenance and upkeep requirements. Without assiduous cleaning, the risk of cross-contamination, quality degradation or, worst case, widespread foodborne illness is high. Dedicated maintenance is key to ensuring everything operates safely and efficiently and products meet quality standards.

Although grease traps aren’t directly involved in the processing of food, they are an integral waste management feature and one that’s strictly regulated in Georgia. Failing to keep your grease trap well-maintained could jeopardize the safety of your facility and put your business in the crosshairs of local regulators. Businesses that fail to maintain proper grease trap cleaning schedules and maintenance can incur expensive fines and legal penalties from the state.

Grease Traps Are Indispensable to Food Processing Plants

Grease traps prevent fats, oils and grease (FOGs) from infiltrating your sewer line, where it can cause severe blockages that are difficult to remove and drastically increase the risk of sewage backups that can have catastrophic consequences for food processing facilities.

Without proper upkeep, grease traps can overflow or become blocked, leading to severe operational disruptions. This can result in clogs and blockages that can lead to foul odors, costly plumbing repairs or a complete grease trap system breakdown.

Grease trap problems could force you to shut down part of or the entirety of the facility until it’s fixed, leading to lost production and revenue as well as increased operating costs. The risk of facility-wide contamination from sewage backups is extraordinarily high, necessitating expensive cleanup and sanitization before production can resume.

Failing to adhere to minimum grease trap cleaning, or violation of the 25-percent rule, can also lead to fines.

Grease traps drastically reduce the risk of FOG-related sewer clogs, lessening the burden on wastewater treatment plants by removing grease and solids from sewage water before it begins processing.

Georgia is one of many states that mandates specific grease trap sizes and cleaning frequencies in food processing plants depending on volume of FOG generated. Allowing FOG to pass straight into the sewers can greatly increase municipal maintenance costs and cause problems for nearby businesses and residents.

Food processing plants that neglect their FOG-control responsibility may face substantial fines, legal actions and damage to their reputation. Put simply, food processing plant managers have a practical and legal obligation to comply with FOG-control ordinances, which in the Atlanta area means adhering to minimum cleaning frequency and/or the 25 percent rule.

Even without the worst-case sewer clog scenarios, infrequent maintenance can deteriorate your grease trap. Decreased efficiency can directly translate into increased operational costs. Investing in regular maintenance can pay dividends in the long run and help ensure your grease traps last for as long as possible.

Regular Grease Trap Maintenance Made Easy

Regular grease trap inspections, cleaning and maintenance ensure that grease traps function correctly, greatly reducing your risk of costly repairs and unplanned downtime while protecting your facility’s reputation in the community.

To safeguard the quality and lifespan of their grease trap, food processing plants should develop a detailed maintenance schedule with a reliable service provider who can perform regular inspections and keep assiduous maintenance records and manifests. This ensures equipment is always performing at optimal capacity, ensuring a safe, efficient and sustainable operation that can keep both consumers and your facility safe.

Southern Green Industries will take care of every aspect of grease trap maintenance for you, from prompt wastewater and FOG removal to submitting manifests to local inspectors on your behalf (in any format) to personally ensure your facility’s adherence to watershed management and public works department rules.

We have over 15 years of experience maintaining grease traps and can help facility managers identify potential issues early on to reduce the need for emergency repairs and replacements. Our team takes pride in saving food processing plants money with comprehensive, hassle-free service.

From Pick-Up to Paperwork, We Make Every Part of Grease Trap Maintenance and Fryer Oil Recycling Simpler

Atlanta food processing plants have been hiring Southern Green Industries for green and efficient commercial grease trap cleaning and fryer oil recycling services since 2007. See the difference in service quality today – get a free quote for our commercial services by calling us at (404) 419-6887.