Choosing the Right Process Safety Testing for Food & Agriculture Operations
Whether you're introducing a new ingredient, modifying an existing production process, expanding operations, handling combustible food products, or responding to a customer or regulatory requirement, there are times when additional process safety testing may be needed.
From grain elevators and feed mills to food processing plants, bakeries, ingredient manufacturers, and packaging facilities, every operation faces unique process safety challenges. Materials such as flour, grain, sugar, starch, cocoa, dairy powders, feed ingredients, and other organic materials can present combustible dust hazards that may not be fully understood until their characteristics are evaluated through testing.
The first step is understanding the materials you handle and the process conditions in which they are used. The challenge isn't simply performing a laboratory test. It is determining which process safety questions need to be answered and which testing will provide the information needed to make informed decisions.
With the right testing strategy, food and agriculture facilities can better understand combustible dust hazards, evaluate ignition and explosion risks, and support practical decisions around process safety, equipment protection, and regulatory compliance.
From grain elevators and feed mills to food processing plants, bakeries, ingredient manufacturers, and packaging facilities, every operation faces unique process safety challenges. Materials such as flour, grain, sugar, starch, cocoa, dairy powders, feed ingredients, and other organic materials can present combustible dust hazards that may not be fully understood until their characteristics are evaluated through testing.
The first step is understanding the materials you handle and the process conditions in which they are used. The challenge isn't simply performing a laboratory test. It is determining which process safety questions need to be answered and which testing will provide the information needed to make informed decisions.
With the right testing strategy, food and agriculture facilities can better understand combustible dust hazards, evaluate ignition and explosion risks, and support practical decisions around process safety, equipment protection, and regulatory compliance.
WE UNDERSTAND THE QUESTIONS YOU'RE TRYING TO ANSWER
Most organizations don't contact us because they know exactly which tests they need.
Most organizations don't contact us because they know exactly which tests they need.
They contact us because they're trying to answer questions like:
✔ Can this material support a dust explosion?
✔ How severe could an explosion be?
✔ Could our operating conditions create an ignition source?
✔ Do we need additional testing before moving forward?
✔ Which tests actually apply to our material?
✔ Can this material support a dust explosion?
✔ How severe could an explosion be?
✔ Could our operating conditions create an ignition source?
✔ Do we need additional testing before moving forward?
✔ Which tests actually apply to our material?
That's where the conversation begins.
The most common question we hear isn't “Can you perform this test?”
It's “Where do we start?"
HOW WE HELP
Once we understand your material and your objectives, we help determine the most appropriate testing approach.
Once we understand your material and your objectives, we help determine the most appropriate testing approach.
Depending on your situation, process safety testing for chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturers often includes:
- Dust Explosibility Screening
- Explosion Severity Testing (Kst and Pmax)
- Limiting Oxygen Concentration (LOC)
- Minimum Ignition Energy (MIE)
- Minimum Ignition Temperature (MIT)
- Minimum Explosible Concentration (MEC)
- Thermal Stability Testing
- Electrostatic Testing
- Other Specialized Evaluations
Not every project requires every test.
Not sure which tests apply to your material? That's where we can help. Our scientists can recommend the most appropriate testing strategy based on your material, process, and objectives.
Our goal is to recommend the testing that answers your questions, not simply perform every available test.
WHY ORGANIZATIONS WORK WITH DEKRA
When you're making decisions about process safety, you need more than laboratory data.
When you're making decisions about process safety, you need more than laboratory data.
You need people who can help you understand what those results mean for your material, your process, and your operation.
For more than 100 years, DEKRA has helped organizations across food and agriculture, chemical, pharmaceutical, and industrial manufacturing better understand combustible dust hazards before incidents occur. Our team combines specialized laboratory testing expertise with practical process safety experience, helping clients move from test results to informed decisions.
Whether you're introducing a new ingredient, modifying production processes, expanding operations, responding to customer or regulatory requirements, or reviewing existing process safety data, our scientists help determine the testing needed to answer your specific process safety questions.
The result is a testing approach that is practical, technically grounded, and aligned with the decisions you need to make — whether those decisions involve Dust Hazard Analysis inputs, equipment protection, ignition risk evaluation, regulatory compliance, insurer expectations, or internal process safety standards.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
A conversation with one of our Process Safety specialists is designed to help you:
✓ Discuss your material and manufacturing process
✓ Identify the questions you're trying to answer
✓ Determine which testing may be appropriate
✓ Understand what information each test provides
✓ Recommend practical next steps
A conversation with one of our Process Safety specialists is designed to help you:
✓ Discuss your material and manufacturing process
✓ Identify the questions you're trying to answer
✓ Determine which testing may be appropriate
✓ Understand what information each test provides
✓ Recommend practical next steps