Chapter 26 - Hygienic Design and Maintenance of Equipment

Abstract

To satisfy consumer demand for “fresh-like” additive-free foods, many food producers nowadays apply mild processing and conservation techniques that often shorten the shelf-life of food, may put food at risk and may compromise consumer health. However, food legislation developed in many countries around the globe requires that microbiologically safe food shall be produced by means of process equipment that minimizes the risk of contamination and that is easily cleanable. Hence, good hygienic engineering and design practice became one of the tools to reduce or exclude microbial (e.g. pathogens), chemical (e.g. lubricating fluids, cleaning chemicals) or physical (e.g. glass, wood) contamination of food. Good hygienic equipment design also allows for the elimination of food product “held up” within the process equipment that could deteriorate and affect product quality and may reduce the downtime required for an item of process equipment to be cleaned or maintained. Although initially more expensive than poorly designed equipment, hygienically designed equipment is more cost effective in the long term. In response to the demand of food producers and global legislation, manufacturers of food processing equipment are encouraged to develop and manufacture food processing equipment that is hygienically designed and easily cleanable. This chapter gives guidance on the hygienic design, selection of hygienic open and closed food processing equipment and maintenance of hygienic process equipment.