Sanitary equipment and facility design and function have always been of utmost importance in producing excellent quality and safe food. Incidents of food contamination are often avoidable and frequently the result of cross-contamination due to processing and handling food with equipment that does not meet basic sanitary design principles. Multiple groups such as 3-A SSI, EHEDG, USDA, FDA, BISSC, AMI, GMA-SSG and regional Dairy Equipment Review Committees as well as food manufacturers and equipment manufacturers evaluate food processing equipment and facility design. Equipment that is designed, constructed and installed according to sound sanitary principles is the foundation to easier cleaning and improved sanitation, which in turn mitigates food safety risk by preventing product contamination, satisfying regulatory requirements, and meeting customer demands. In addition to strengthening food safety and sanitation programs, good engineering design lowers operating costs by making sanitation efforts more efficient and more economical, and maintenance and repairs less costly. Of interest to attendees that represent multiple food disciplines, the goal of this symposium is to provide a balanced perspective of sanitary equipment design and the role hygienic design of food manufacturing facilities plays in ensuring food safety. Besides delivering an overview on the topic, this comprehensive discussion will address current issues, risk assessment, industry collaboration, organizational and cultural changes and development of an analytical tool to estimate the overall impact of sanitary design of equipment and facilities. Case studies will be presented to offer insights from both a manufacturer and user perspectives.

Presentations