Reflections from the 3A-SSI Summit on Hygienic Design

Recently, 3-A SSI, a non-profit organization committed to advancing food safety through hygienic equipment design, held its annual Summit on Hygienic Design. Warren Green, Vice President of Process Engineering at Hixson and a member of the 3-A SSI Steering Committee and Vice Chair of the 3-A SSI Workgroup on General Requirements (GR), attended the summit.  Overall, said Warren, “the sessions I attended were insightful and well-executed.” Some of his key takeaways included:

• One standout presentation looked at Installation and Commissioning for Hygienic Equipment. “This informative presentation looked at the importance of proper installation and commissioning to ensure that that hygienic food processing equipment operates according to its intended design and functionality.  The 3-A symbol is a guarantee that a specific component is designed for hygienic service.  For the integrated system to perform hygienically, other important steps such as a Factory Acceptance Test (FAT), training, validation, and proper installation must all be performed,” said Warren.
• Warren also highlighted a session led by Gabe Miller, a long-time 3-A member and Certified Conformance Evaluator (CCE). Gabe evaluates equipment from various manufacturers to determine if it meets 3-A standards, “offered valuable insights from the field on spray ball design for hygienic tank cleaning,” said Warren.
• Another notable session focused on the European Hygienic Engineering & Design Group (EHEDG), comparing its operations and standards to those of 3-A. According to Warren, “both organizations share similar goals, but their approaches and regulatory frameworks differ significantly.”
• In addition to attending sessions, Warren also participated in a panel discussion on “The Evolution of 3-A Sanitary Standards in Non-Dairy Production.” The panel, which in addition to Warren included a diverse group of professionals from across the industry, discussed how hygienic design principles could be applied beyond dairy to broader food production environments. The team emphasized the advantages of adopting these standards across industries, such as boosting productivity, improving operational efficiency, and supporting sanitary compliance, while ensuring equipment is designed for optimal cleanability and ease of inspection.

Warren said he was genuinely impressed by the quality of the presentations and the depth of expertise among the speakers. “The summit offered a great mix of technical content and practical application.”

For more about Hixson’s involvement in 3-A SSI, contact us today!