Holistic Hygienic Design
Time: 16:10-16:40
Room:
Plenary Session
Deb thinks Hygienic Design should be considered as an essential pre-requisite for all equipment and facilities used in connection with food handling; it also extends to the safety of the materials used in contact with the food. It's surprising that many manufacturers, purchasers, and users of food industry equipment are unaware or overlook its importance. EHEDG and 3-A SSI have a long history in the promotion of hygienic design through the provision of training, guidance, certification, and expert advice. In the past, attention has primarily been directed towards the hygienic design of food processing equipment. However, there is now a growing recognition that ensuring food safety and quality also hinges on the hygienic design of the buildings where food processing occurs, the facilities supporting those structures, and the additional equipment utilised within the factory environment. As a consequence, EHEDG now publishes guidance on ‘Hygienic Design Principles for Food Factories’ (Guideline 44), and on ‘Air Quality Control for Building Ventilation’ (Guideline 47). Additionally, food industry cleaning tools and utensils have long been identified as a major source and vector of contamination 1,2,3, and the importance of their hygienic design is reflected in GFSI food safety standard requirements. This presentation will summarise existing and developing EHEDG guidance, and GFSI food safety standard requirements related to these supplementary sources of contamination within food production areas, and will investigate the future of hygienic design as a holistic concept within food production facilities.