It's important that the food processing environment is as clean as possible in order to produce to safe food regulations. To protect the food couplings during hose handling, LMC-Couplings developed rubber protection rings to provent coupling and environment damage.

The blue NBR ring is placed across the swage ferrule. The male or female threaded hose shank coupling is now protected from accidental falls on the ground. 
 

Blue NBR.