Cut fumes & fires
Prompted by recent serious kitchen fires, rising insurance premiums and staff safety concerns, kitchen ventilation and related technology is becoming a hot topic.
The fitment of UV-C ultra-violet lamps inside extraction hoods over ranges, grills and cookers offers a promising way of neutralising smoke, smells and grease before it starts becoming a problem. It's still a very new idea but the capability to produce such systems - at marginally little difference in cost over conventional systems - was promoted shown by Vent-Master, with its Reactovent and Halton.
ICI subsidiary Nobel Enterprises, a new name in the commercial kitchen, aims to introduce significant advances in fire suppression technology, notably in non-pressurised systems. Equipment is British-made and draws upon ICI's know-how in supplying MoD applications.
Ventless extraction hoods have multiple built-in filters and make it possible to operate powerful frying and grilling equipment in situations where fixed extraction ducting is impossible, such as food courts and convenience stores.
Ventless hoods were shown on complete cooking suites from various North American manufacturers including Wells, Alto Shaam, whose entry into frying equipment was demonstrated on the Equip Line stand and Chester Fried.
