The limits for oven emissions
Regulations are in place in many jurisdictions to deal with the air quality implications of commercial cooking. These regulations are usually focused on particulate matter, smells or sparks.
Commercial ventless ovens sold in the US need to pass a test to determine their condensable particulate emissions. The test, which follows a procedure known as EPA202, involves cooking a succession of pepperoni pizzas over an eight-hour period, during which the average particulate emissions from the oven must not exceed 5mg/m3
A leading testing and certification body in the US is the Underwriters’ Laboratory, now abbreviated to ‘UL’. The UL puts ovens into various categories, one of which is referred to as ‘KNLZ’ for ‘commercial ovens with integral systems for limiting the emissions of grease laden air’. The UL’s test standard for this category of ovens is referred to as UL710B.
Another standard which is applicable to commercial ventless ovens sold in the US is known as ‘ANSI/NFPA96’. ANSI is the American National Standards Institute whilst NFPA stands for National Fire Protection Association, which has an interest in preventing kitchen fires caused by the build-up of particulate matter. Again, the limit for particulate emissions set by this standard is 5mg/m3. Achieving such low levels of particulate emissions generally requires the use of a catalytic converter.
Note: This website does not claim to be a definitive or up to date source of information on regulations and interested parties are advised to make their own enquiries.