Application
Routing Powder to Multiple Destinations in Food & Beverage
Answer in brief
In a food plant the diverter is an allergen control point.
Whatever stays in the junction goes into the next product, and that is as true for a sealed pressure line as for an open chute.
- Choose a junction that can be opened and inspected.
- Keep the routing gentle for fragile products.
- Include the diverter in the allergen cleaning plan.
Reviewed October 21, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026
The problem
Food lines route one blend to several packers or silos, and the junction is the one place the cleaning procedure often forgets.
Fragile products are also damaged at sharp junction transitions.
Desired outcome
A junction that sends the full stream to the selected destination, leaves nothing behind for the next one and holds the line pressure while it does so.
Process approach
Flex tube diverters are favoured in food because the tube is the only product contact part and it can be removed and cleaned or replaced.
Where the product is fragile, the junction radius and the absence of abrupt steps matter as much as the sealing.
Dust tight sealing keeps the room clean and keeps the combustible dust inside the equipment.
- Product contact parts that can be removed for cleaning.
- Smooth transitions without steps or ledges at the junction.
- Diverter included in the documented changeover procedure.
Selection factors
- Allergen matrix and the changeover standard.
- Product fragility and the acceptable damage at the junction.
- Cleaning method, dry or wet, and the drying that follows.
- Dust explosion characteristics of the powder.
- Number of destinations and the switching frequency.
Common failure modes
- Allergen residue remaining in the junction
- Fragile product damaged at a sharp junction step
- Diverter omitted from the cleaning procedure
- Dust leaking from the junction into a hygienic zone
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