Resource for Greening Food and Beverage Manufacturing
Pollution Prevention Information
Version 1.0
December 2010
DISCLAIMER: This guide is for educational and informational purposes only. The City of Toronto assumes no liability for the
accuracy or completeness of these materials. Readers are responsible for ensuring compliance with Toronto's Environmental
Reporting and Disclosure Bylaw (Municipal Code Chapter 423). These materials should not be relied upon as a substitute for legal
or professional advice. Readers should seek their own legal or professional advice in regard to their use of the information
contained in the guide.
Greening Food and Beverage Manufacturing
Toronto’s ChemTRAC program includes an Environmental Reporting and Disclosure Bylaw (Municipal
Code Chapter 423) that requires local businesses to track and report their use and release of 25 priority
substances. The ChemTRAC program provides an opportunity for you to identify strategies for improving
your environmental performance. Strategies include those that reduce the use and release of the 25
priority substances. Strategies may also reduce the use and release of other chemicals that may have a
health and/or an environmental impact. This Greening Resource for Food and Beverage
Manufacturing Sector will help you understand the chemicals that you are using and find ways to reduce
or eliminate their use. For additional resources, including a Guide to Reporting visit
http://www.toronto.ca/chemtrac/.
Food and Beverage Manufacturing Sector
In the City of Toronto, food and beverage manufacturing includes many different
activities and types of processes. Generally, food processing includes receiving,
refrigerating, and preparing raw ingredient materials; processing and packaging those
materials; refrigerating or storing final products; and cleaning equipment and facilities.
Different subsectors engage in different processing activities such as peeling, mashing,
fermenting, baking, frying, cooking, canning, and preserving. Examples of specific
subsectors are listed below.
Some Food Manufacturing Subsectors:
• Meat processing
• Baking
• Fruit and vegetable canning
• Frozen food manufacturing
• Dairy product manufacturing
• Coffee and tea manufacturing
Some Beverage Manufacturing Subsectors:
• Soft drink and ice manufacturing
• Bottled water manufacturing
• Beer brewing
• Wine making
• Distilling
Priority Substances and Other Chemicals of Concern
Toronto Public Health has identified 25 substances of priority health concern that are commonly used and
released by businesses in the City of Toronto. As part of ChemTRAC, the Environmental Reporting and2
Resource for Greening Food and Beverage Manufacturing. Toronto Public Health. December 2010.
Disclosure Bylaw requires businesses and facilities to track and report on any of the listed priority
substances that a facility manufactures, uses or releases to the environment if the amounts are equal to
or above the reporting limits. In addition to the priority substances, industrial processes commonly use
and release other chemicals of concern that may have a health and/or an environmental impact that are
not subject to the by-law.
The food and beverage manufacturing sector may use and produce some of these priority substances
and other chemicals of concern. Each of these chemicals may have an impact on human health and/or
the environment. Below are the priority substances and other chemicals of concern that may be used or
produced by your facility and its operation. This is not an exhaustive list.
Resource for Greening Food and Beverage Manufacturing. Toronto Public Health. December 2010.
Substances that may be used or produced by your Food and Beverage Manufacturing
Sector
Cooking, fermenting, and baking processes may Cleaning products may contain:
lead to the release of:
1 1
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) • VOCs
2
• Particulate Matter (PM2.5)
• Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)
• Formaldehyde
1 VOCs are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. When combined with nitrous oxides (NOx) in sunlight, smog
forms. Ethanol and formaldehyde are common VOCs released by the food and beverage manufacturing sector.
2 Particulate matter (PM) consists of airborne particles in solid or liquid form (e.g., smoke). PM2.5 is airborne particulate
matter with a mass median diameter less than 2.5 µm.
Understanding Your Company’s Impacts: Food and Beverage Manufacturing Sector
This section provides an overview of the wide-ranging activities that take place at many food and
beverage manufacturing facilities. For each activity, the guide shows the raw materials that go into the
process and the pollution (waste) that comes out of the process. Symbols show whether the wastes
typically go to air, landfill, sewer systems and/or treatment facilities (liquid wastes).
The following diagrams show the raw materials that may go into Food and Beverage Manufacturing
processes and the pollution that may come out of each process. This guide outlines the general
processes Food and Beverage Manufacturing Sector. Your facility may have more specialized
processes or only engage in a subset of these processes; however, it is possible that these priority
substances and chemicals of concern may still be present. Symbols show whether the wastes typically go
to air, landfill, sewer systems and/or treatment facilities (as liquid or hazardous wastes).
Symbols used in the flow diagram
Resource for Greening Food and Beverage Manufacturing. Toronto Public Health. December 2010.
Food and Beverage Manufacturing: Chemical Inputs and Associated Wastes
Inputs Process Wastes Waste Stream
Energy All Food & Beverage Emitted VOCs
Manufacturing Processes
(natural gas)
Emitted NO
Ammonia Raw Material Storage & Emitted PM2.5
Refrigeration
Caustic peeling Emitted VOCs
solution Receiving & Preparation Wastewater
Emitted VOCs
Raw materials Emitted NOx
Processing
Emitted PM2.5
Emitted VOCs
Inks and solvents
Packaging & Printing
Waste ink and
solvents
Product Storage, Refrigeration
Ammonia & Distribution Emitted PM2.5
Caustic or acidic
cleaners,
Emitted VOCs
detergents, Cleaning 5
disinfectants Wastewater
Resource for Greening Food and Beverage Manufacturing. Toronto Public Health. December 2010.
Specific processing steps associated with three sample subsectors include:
Fruit and Vegetable Processing Meat Processing Beer Brewing
• Storage; Refrigeration • Holding livestock • Grain storage
• Sorting; Washing • Stunning; Slaughtering • Mashing
• Peeling; Cutting; Pulverizing • Hide removal; Dehairing; • Lautering (i.e.,
Defeathering separating)
• Cooking; Frying; Freezing;
Flavouring; Concentrating; • Evisceration • Boiling
Preserving; Freeze-drying
• Trimming; Carcass • Fermenting; Conditioning
washing
• Filtering
• Deboning
• Filling; Packaging
• Curing; Smoking;
Freezing
Food and beverage manufacturers may or may not print their own product labels; consequently, they may
or may not use inks and solvents and produce wastes associated with printing. Pollution prevention
initiatives associated with printing processes are not discussed in this document. For a detailed
discussion of printing and publishing processes and associated pollution prevention measures, please
refer to Toronto Public Health’s Resource for Greening Printing and Publishing at
www.toronto.ca/chemtrac.
Resource for Greening Food and Beverage Manufacturing. Toronto Public Health. December 2010.
Pollution Prevention Steps You Can Take
This resource identifies steps you can take to reduce or
The pollution prevention measures
eliminate your use of the priority substances and other identified in this information sheet
can reduce costs and/or increase
chemicals that may have a health and/or an environmental
profits.
impact, and to prevent pollution in the Food and Beverage
Manufacturing Sector.
Pollution Prevention Assessments – A Good First Step
Before you go too far with any given measure, you may want to do a Pollution Prevention Assessment of
your business. You may need an outside expert to help. A typical Pollution Prevention Assessment will
include mapping process flows, reviewing equipment uses, evaluating the way you use and store
chemicals, evaluating the way you use energy, as well as reviewing waste handling practices and
discharges. This assessment helps you to identify many pollution prevention opportunities (and any
regulatory compliance issues) and decide which steps to take first.
Pollution Prevention - A Key to Good Management
Good management of your chemical purchases, chemical use and waste disposal is very important. You
can improve your environmental performance through Pollution Prevention by:
• identifying how you are using the priority substances and other chemicals of concern that may
have a health and/or an environmental impact
• figuring out how much you are using of each chemical and estimating the related emissions (see
the earlier description for more information on how to estimate chemical use and emissions)
• discussing the options to reduce or to eliminate these chemicals and, where feasible, taking
action. Actions could include:
o using a different product
o changing how you apply or clean up the chemical product/waste
o training staff on how best to apply and clean up the chemical product/waste, or
o installing new technology
o maintaining equipment to ensure that leaks and general efficiencies are managed
• tracking the amount of chemicals you use and see if it goes down over time, and
• reviewing progress and identifying whether or not you need to make changes to the company’s
practices and procedures.
Changes you could make in your medical laboratory
The following table lists many options to help you reduce or stop using the priority substances and other
chemicals of concern in your facility. Some measures will cost more than others, and some will be easier
Resource for Greening Food and Beverage Manufacturing. Toronto Public Health. December 2010.
to implement than others. Employees can implement certain measures by making minor changes in their
day-to-day approaches; while others will require management to invest in new technologies.
The table provides a quick and simple way to take stock of what measures your business has already put
into place and those measures that your business could apply. In completing the table, you are
encouraged to prioritize the actions you would take. While it is not exhaustive, the table identifies many
pollution prevention opportunities for the Food and Beverage Manufacturing Sector. When assessing
the options, please consider your facility-specific conditions and how each option might affect pollution
releases to the air, land and water.
The table identifies three general types of options and distinguishes each with a symbol:
Low-cost, good operating procedures – These measures involve operational and
managerial changes that can reduce chemical use. They include simple changes to normal
practices, process improvements, as well as training and good housekeeping opportunities.
This measure does not need new technology purchases.
Choosing an alternative chemical – These measures involve replacing traditional
products (such as solvents and cleaning products) with products that have less harmful
properties. The ease and cost of these measures depends on the product and the process
used.
New technology or system – These measures involve the installation of a new system,
machine or process. The cost varies depending on the technology / system.
See More Resources for a list of additional resources related to pollution prevention in the Food and
Beverage Manufacturing Sector.
Resource for Greening Food and Beverage Manufacturing. Toronto Public Health. December 2010.
In place? What level of
priority do we put
Process
Type of on implementing
Pollution Prevention Opportunities activity this measure?
Yes No N/A
(High, Medium or
Low)
Cleaning Use dry (waterless) cleaning methods such as sweeping
prior to water clean-up to reduce water and cleaning product H M L
usage.
Clean equipment immediately after use to prevent food from
hardening on equipment and to reduce the amount of water H M L
and cleaning product needed.
Pre-soak soiled surfaces prior to cleaning to loosen dirt or
food residues and to minimize water and cleaning product H M L
usage.
Neutralize caustic wastewaters with a mild acid (such as
vinegar) and acidic wastewaters with a weak base (such as H M L
baking soda) before discharging.
Place catch pans or other containment devices near
hydraulic lifts, liquid drum storage or dry product storage to H M L
contain overflows and leaks and to reduce water and
cleaning product usage.
Use low-pressure foam cleaning (foam soak, followed by low
pressure rinse) to minimize detergent, water and energy use. H M L
Substitute less harmful cleaning products such as water-
based biodegradable cleaners. H M L
Replace parts-bath solvents with non-hazardous substitutes
to clean equipment. H M L
Low-cost, good operating Choosing an alternative New technology or
procedures chemical system
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Use clean-in-place systems and program systems to use H M L
only the amount of water and detergent required for
particular cleaning tasks.
Use high pressure, low volume spray washes to reduce
H M L
water usage and wastewater.
Use compressed air to clean equipment rather than water
and cleaning products. H M L
Clean equipment with steam to reduce water and cleaning
product usage. H M L
Collect, filter and reuse appropriate wastewaters for other
cleaning processes, such as cleaning trucks and storage H M L
areas.
Use a computer controlled cleaning system to prevent H M L
cleaning product discharges that accompany equipment
breakdowns.
Food Processing Use dry caustic peeling to peel fruits and vegetables and
minimize caustic solution use and wastewater production. H M L
Maintain deep-frying oil at the standard operating
temperature (180°C) to increase the life of the oil being used H M L
and to reduce air emissions.
Use olive oil, rather than canola oil to deep-fry foods at the
standard operating temperature (180°C) to reduce air H M L
emissions.
Beverage Use spent grains to adsorb VOC emissions and organic
Processing material from effluent. H M L
Collect fermentation gases at breweries and wineries to
produce saleable carbon dioxide and reduce ethanol H M L
emissions.
Low-cost, good operating Choosing an alternative New technology or
procedures chemical system
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Food/Beverage Recover vapour condensate and use heat or water for
Processing various operational processes such as cleaning to reduce H M L
energy use, VOC emissions and water use.
General Undergo an energy audit to identify opportunities for energy
savings, emissions reductions and associated cost savings. H M L
Operating
Use fluorescent lights or lower wattage lamps to light
facilities and reduce energy use and air emissions. H M L
Maintain equipment such as cooling systems to improve
efficiency and avoid producing unnecessary air emissions. H M L
Replace old equipment such as motors and heating units
with more efficient equipment to reduce energy use and air H M L
emissions.
Install timers and thermostats to control heating and cooling
to reduce energy use and air emissions. H M L
Install computerized controllers to better regulate motor
outputs to reduce energy use and air emissions. H M L
Purchasing and Review suppliers’ products regularly to find the most
Inventory environmentally-responsible products. H M L
Keep an accurate inventory of products used. H M L
Training Train workers to follow best-practices operating procedures
related to cleaning, good housekeeping, and energy and H M L
water usage.
Other Ask employees for P2 suggestions. H M L
Contact us to provide your feedback on this resource or to suggest any additional pollution prevention resources (email
chemtrac@toronto.ca or call 416-338-7600).
Low-cost, good operating Choosing an alternative New technology or
procedures chemical system
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More Resources
Australia Government. 2007. Emission Estimation Technique Manuals by Industry.
http://www.npi.gov.au/handbooks/approved_handbooks/sector-manuals.html
• A description of industry-specific manufacturing processes and their associated emissions. The
manuals outline the procedures and recommended approaches for estimating emissions from
various food and beverage manufacturing facilities.
Capital Regional District. Codes of Practice by Industry.
http://www.crd.bc.ca/wastewater/sourcecontrol/codespractice.htm
• A description of food and beverage manufacturing processes and best management practices for
dealing with wastes.
Fraser River Action Plan. Technical Pollution Prevention Guides by Industry.
http://www.rem.sfu.ca/FRAP/PDF_list
• A guide that provides a brief overview of pollution prevention, describes industry-specific
manufacturing processes and best management practices, and outlines step-by-step procedures
for developing a facility-specific pollution prevention program.
University of California. 2007. Energy Efficiency Improvement and Cost Saving Opportunities for the Fruit
and Vegetable Processing Industry. http://www.energystar.gov/ia/business/industry/Food-Guide.pdf
• This energy guide discusses the trends, structure, and energy consumption characteristics of the
U.S. fruit and vegetable processing industry, describes the major process technologies used
within the industry, and identifies a variety of energy efficiency measures applicable to fruit and
vegetable processing plants.
University of Queensland Australia. Eco-Efficiency Toolkits and Fact Sheets.
http://www.gpa.uq.edu.au/CleanProd/toolkits/toolkits.htm
• Toolkits outline environmental challenges in the food processing industry and describe eco-
efficiency strategies that can help food processors use resources efficiently and reduce waste
production. Self-assessment guides are included to assist food processors in identifying and
implementing eco-efficiency opportunities.
U.S. EPA. 1999. Multimedia Environmental Compliance Guide for Food Processors.
http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/publications/assistance/sectors/multifood.pdf
• An overview of food production processes and pollution prevention measures, including
instructions for completing waste analyses at food and beverage manufacturing facilities. The
EPA’s major environmental statutes are reviewed and instructions for complying with
environmental regulations are discussed.
Waste Reduction Resource Center. The Meat Processing Topic Hub.
http://wrrc.p2pays.org/p2rx/index.cfm?page=toc&hub_id=449&subsec_id=7
• A topic hub that describes various meat processing activities, provides flow diagrams to illustrate
these various activities, identifies pollution prevention opportunities, and presents case studies
that illustrate waste reduction opportunities in meat processing.
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Additional relevant resources include:
General P2 Resources
Environment Canada. Pollution Prevention Planning Handbook.
http://www.ec.gc.ca/NOPP/DOCS/P2P/hbook/En/index.cfm
• Detailed information about general pollution prevention planning processes and techniques.
Do-it-Yourself P2 Tools
Canadian Centre for Pollution Prevention. Environmental Accounting Online Training Tool.
http://learning.c2p2online.com/
• A training tool designed to familiarize participants with the steps and tools available for identifying
and estimating the costs and benefits associated with pollution prevention options identified
during the pollution prevention planning process.
P2 Database and Resource Centres
Canadian Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse (CPPIC)
http://www.ec.gc.ca/cppic/en/index.cfm
• An online database providing access to pollution prevention resources for specific sectors.
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