Hygienic Design

Hygienic design is a set of principles for designing machinery, equipment and installations so that product residue and bacteria do not build up in them, and the whole system can be cleaned easily and effectively.

Hygienic design principles cover, among other things:

• materials: stainless steel and plastics approved for food contact are used, resistant to both the products and the cleaning agents,
• surfaces: they must be smooth, with no gaps, scratches or pores where contaminants could collect,
• shapes: sharp corners, crevices and dead zones, meaning places where product collects, are avoided,
• drainability: equipment and pipes are designed with slopes so that product and water drain out completely,
• joints: smooth welds and hygienic fittings without gaps are used,
• access: components that need to be inspected or cleaned should be easily accessible.

Hygienic design is crucial in the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries, because it directly affects product safety and shelf life.

Example: A meat processing plant is choosing a new tank for meat filling. A hygienically designed tank has rounded internal corners, smooth polished walls, a bottom that slopes towards the drain valve, and cleaning heads that reach every part of the tank. As a result, no meat filling residue remains after emptying and cleaning in which bacteria could grow.