Food-Grade & Sanitary Valves

Hygienic butterfly and ball valves in AISI 316L stainless steel for food, dairy, beverage, wine and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Certified for food contact per EU Regulation 1935/2004.

Hygienic design for food safety

In food and beverage manufacturing, the piping and valve system is a critical food safety element. Any valve that comes into contact with the food product — or with cleaning solutions used in CIP/SIP cycles — must be designed and certified to prevent contamination. This means: materials that do not migrate harmful substances into food; internal surfaces that can be completely cleaned by CIP without dismantling; no dead legs or crevices where product residues and microorganisms can accumulate; and seal materials that are soft-food-contact approved and chemically resistant to both the food product and the cleaning agents (typically CIP chemicals: alkaline NaOH solutions, acid HNO₃/HCl solutions and steam).

Roffia serves the food and beverage sector with a complete range of hygienic valves from manufacturers whose designs comply with EHEDG (European Hygienic Engineering and Design Group) guidelines and EU Regulation 1935/2004. Our range covers dairy (milk, yoghurt, cheese, cream), beverage (soft drinks, juice, beer, wine), bakery, confectionery and fine chemicals / pharmaceutical.

Read our article on valves for the food industry: standards and selection guide for a comprehensive technical overview.

Food-grade sanitary valves — Roffia srl

Sanitary butterfly valves

  • Body and disc: AISI 316L
  • Seat: EPDM, PTFE, silicone, VMQ
  • DN 25–300, PN 10–16
  • Connections: tri-clamp, hygienic flange, weld-end
  • Manual lever, pneumatic, electric actuation
  • Surface finish Ra ≤ 0.8 µm standard

Sanitary ball valves

  • Full-bore, DN 15–100
  • Body and ball: AISI 316L
  • Seats: PTFE (standard), PEEK (high temp)
  • Seals: EPDM or FKM
  • Tri-clamp or threaded ends
  • Pneumatic actuated assemblies in stock

Standards and certifications

  • EU Regulation 1935/2004 (food contact)
  • EHEDG guidelines (hygienic design)
  • 3-A Sanitary Standards
  • EC1935 / FDA 21 CFR for seals
  • ISO 2852 (tri-clamp fittings)
  • DIN 32676 (hygienic fittings)

Food industry applications

Dairy industry

Milk, cream, yoghurt and cheese production require EHEDG-compliant sanitary butterfly valves on pasteurisers, homogenisers, separator lines and CIP circuits. EPDM seats are standard for dairy duty; PTFE is specified for products with high fat content or aggressive CIP chemicals. Pneumatic spring-return actuators ensure automatic closure on CIP initiation.

Wine and beverage

Winemaking uses AISI 316L butterfly valves for must, wine and lees lines from crush to bottling. EPDM seats resist tartaric acid and sulfur dioxide. Beer brewing requires valves rated for hot-wort transfer (80–100 °C) with EPDM or silicone seats. Carbonated beverages need valves rated for CO₂ partial pressure.

Pharmaceutical and cosmetics

Pharmaceutical manufacturing (APIs, oral liquids, topicals) demands Ra ≤ 0.4 µm finish on all product-contact surfaces, full traceability of steel heats and elastomer lots, and SIP capability (steam sterilisation). Valves must be designed for zero dead-leg to prevent contamination between batches. Roffia sources specialised aseptic valves for pharma applications on request.

Bakery and confectionery

Handling of chocolate, syrups, dough and batter requires full-bore valves (to prevent blockage by viscous products), jacketed versions (to maintain product temperature and prevent solidification) and seats in silicone (approved for dry and semi-dry food products, high temperature compatible). Knife gate valves are also used for starch and flour slurries.

Frequently asked questions

What European regulations govern food-grade valves and hygienic fittings?
In Europe, valves intended for contact with foodstuffs must comply with Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 on materials and articles intended to contact food. This regulation establishes the general framework — materials must not transfer components to food in quantities that could endanger human health, bring about an unacceptable change in the composition of the food, or deteriorate its organoleptic properties (taste, smell, appearance). Specifically for metals and elastomers, reference standards include: Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 (plastics, applicable to PTFE and polymer seals); EN 10088 (stainless steels — AISI 316L is the food-industry standard); EHEDG guidelines (European Hygienic Engineering & Design Group — the main technical reference for hygienic design); and 3-A Sanitary Standards (North American equivalent, widely accepted also in Europe). For the pharmaceutical sector, GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) and FDA 21 CFR requirements apply. Equipment must also be designed for effective Clean-In-Place (CIP) and Sterilise-In-Place (SIP) cleaning, meaning no dead legs, no crevices and smooth internal surfaces.
What materials are food-grade valves made from, and why AISI 316L?
AISI 316L stainless steel is the material of choice for food-contact surfaces in valves, fittings and equipment because of its combination of properties: excellent corrosion resistance (the molybdenum content of 316 resists pitting from chloride-containing food products, cleaning agents and CIP chemicals); good machinability (can achieve the smooth Ra ≤ 0.8 µm surface finish required by hygienic standards); non-toxic (no migration of harmful elements); and approved by EU and FDA regulations. The "L" (Low Carbon) designation is important for welded assemblies, as it prevents chromium carbide precipitation at weld heat-affected zones, maintaining corrosion resistance in welded components. Seal and gasket materials in food-grade valves must be: EPDM (excellent resistance to hot water, steam and alkaline CIP chemicals — standard for dairy and beverage), PTFE (chemically inert, suitable for aggressive media, low-moisture food products), Silicone (flexible, suitable for dry food, confectionery, some beverages — NOT for oily products or strong solvents). NBR is explicitly excluded from food contact applications due to nitrosamine migration risk.
What is a "sanitary finish" and what surface roughness (Ra) is required?
A sanitary finish refers to the mechanical or electrolytic polishing treatment applied to the internal surfaces of food-grade valves, pipes and fittings to achieve a smooth, non-porous surface that can be thoroughly cleaned and is resistant to microbiological contamination. Surface roughness is measured as Ra (arithmetic average roughness): Ra ≤ 0.8 µm is the standard food-industry requirement per EHEDG and 3-A specifications. For pharmaceutical and aseptic applications (injectable products, sterile manufacturing), Ra ≤ 0.4 µm or even Ra ≤ 0.2 µm may be specified. For general food contact (meats, vegetables, bulk dry products), Ra ≤ 1.6 µm is often acceptable, but processing of acidic, salty or protein-rich products (dairy, cheese, wine) should use Ra ≤ 0.8 µm. The surface quality is typically verified with a surface roughness tester (profilometer) and documented in a material certificate. Roffia supplies food-grade valves with Ra certificates on request, along with material test reports (MTRs) confirming AISI 316L grade.
What types of food-grade valves does Roffia supply?
Roffia stocks a comprehensive range of hygienic valves for the food, beverage, dairy and pharmaceutical industries: Sanitary butterfly valves — the most widely used valve in food plants for isolation and occasional throttling. Available with manual lever, pneumatic spring-return actuator (fail-closed for CIP safety) or electric actuator. Connections: tri-clamp (SMS / DIN 32676 / ISO 2852), hygienic flange (EN 1092-1 type B), or weld-end. Disc in AISI 316L, seat in EPDM, PTFE, silicone or VMQ. Sanitary ball valves — full-bore, for aggressive cleaning chemicals and applications where zero dead-space is critical. Available up to DN 100 in AISI 316L with PTFE seats and EPDM seals. Pneumatic actuation with position feedback. Sanitary globe (modulating) valves — used on steam and hot-water supply to CIP systems, pasteurisers and thermal processing equipment. Roffia can also supply diaphragm valves, tank bottom valves and sample valves for aseptic and pharmaceutical service on request.

Food-grade valve supply

Tell us your application (product, CIP chemicals, temperatures), required DN, connection type and actuation. We supply certified, documented food-grade valve assemblies compliant with EU 1935/2004 and EHEDG.

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