News
Hygienic Design is a Key Discipline in the Food & Biotech Segment
12 November 2025
Since the establishment of Process Engineering in 1999, hygienic process design has been an essential part of daily operations within the Food & Biotech segment. Read on to learn why hygienic design is such a crucial discipline.
Hygienic process design is not an exact science that can be learned through formal education. It requires many years of hands-on experience with designing hygienic process plants. The work involves ensuring that process equipment and components comply with hygiene requirements for food machinery according to the Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC) and food contact materials (EC 1935/2004). At the same time, manufacturers must demonstrate that materials are handled according to Good Manufacturing Practice (2023/2006) and that risk assessments are carried out in accordance with the standard (1672-2/2020). It is especially important to consider food contact materials, surface finish, process and construction design, and the integration of CIP and SIP systems (Cleaning in Place and Sterilization in Place).
It’s all about producing safe food for consumers. Food manufacturers must produce products that are safe for us to eat. That’s why we need to design the plants to be hygienic. Otherwise, there’s a risk of unwanted bacteria entering the food. If non-food-approved materials are used, there’s a risk of ingesting harmful substances.
Shared Responsibility for Ensuring High Hygienic Standards
As end users in the Food & Biotech industry, everyone shares responsibility for ensuring that hygienic finished products are produced on their process equipment. Workshops and OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) must deliver quality products, and end users must use and maintain them properly. Hygienic design is a critical factor for food safety, traceability, and product quality. As a manufacturer, one way to ensure that your process equipment meets hygienic design requirements is to have it tested and certified according to EHEDG and 3-A SSI standards. This provides proof and certification that the equipment is approved for handling food – which is especially important in an industry where small deviations can have major consequences.
What we work with in Food & Biotech is rooted in hygienic design in one way or another. Hygienic design is essential for providing customers with the best process solution and thereby the safest product quality. In our work, we ensure that the selected process equipment fits the process in question to minimize the risk of contamination. We conduct internal reviews of our designs as part of our quality assurance, and we always go through the solutions with the customer to ensure that their knowledge is also incorporated
Recently, we were involved in a project for a food manufacturer, who experienced repeated product recalls and had difficulty tracing the cause. We solved this by optimizing the process design with closed systems that ensured cooled and stable conditions. This reduced the risk of contamination and made it easier for the customer to document traceability from the production facility.