Hygienic and Sanitary Designs

Powering Safety and Efficiency on Production Lines

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27 Jan, 2026

Holger Schmidt, Industry Manager for Food and Beverages

Hygienic and sanitary designs are an important part of supporting the cleaning process, which is a central component of food production. If inadequately performed, insufficiently cleaned areas, corners, edges, dead ends, etc., can quickly escalate into a serious problem for customers, the operation, and the brand. Avoiding this scenario is the goal not just for users of the equipment, but for plant managers and equipment producers as well.

The Importance of Hygienic Design

Why is hygienic design so important? Primarily, the goal of hygienic and sanitary design is to support the production of safe products. Equally important is to enable operators to carry out the necessary cleaning as efficiently and quickly as possible – this saves water, energy, cleaning agents, and most importantly, time.

As a crucial component of the HACCP concept, recommendations and requirements for cleaning are found in various standards and regulations. Design plays an equally important role in safe food production. The choice of materials expected to come into contact with food are described in specifications such as EN 1935/2004, EN 1672-2, ISO 14159, or GB 4806. Factors such as the smoothness of the surface – to promote runoff and discourage collection or absorption of foreign material – are all part of the considerations that go into these specifications.

Well-implemented hygienic design not only facilitates safe and rapid cleaning. It also prevents the unintended mixing of products or other contaminants which could cause other issues – for example, introducing allergens which would go undeclared on the product label.

Designing for Efficient Cleaning

Because cleaning is a time-consuming process that requires considerable expertise from the operator, Clean in Place (CIP) cleaning was developed for closed systems. CIP refers to an automatic cleaning of a closed system by recirculating cleaning agents at a defined temperature and concentration. Hygienic design keeps the volume of mixed phases low during product changes and ensures that cleaning agents reach all surfaces within the system with the necessary flow dynamics.

Cleaning Out of Place (COP) is primarily used in systems that are so complex – often due to moving parts – that they can only be cleaned manually after disassembling the components. Hygienic design enables easy disassembly and reassembly or replacement of system components. Such a design makes all surfaces easily accessible. An example of hygienic design in action for a COP system is easily removable conveyor belts. This allows replacement of a dirty conveyor belt with a clean one rather than waiting to clean the dirty belt – reducing the amount of time production must be halted for cleaning.

Designing for Efficient Operation

Hygienic design not only facilitates cleaning, it also helps reduce time and product losses during production by enabling faster changeovers. Equipment surfaces that do not allow contaminants to adhere to them during production make it far easier to remove any debris or material in between production runs. It also means equipment remains cleaner from the start. The following fundamental design features apply in and around the process:

Connections between two components should be fully welded whenever possible. This applies to tanks as well as machine frames.
Connections that are bolted must be sealed directly at the outer edge to compensate for differential play caused by temperature or pressure changes.
Rounded transitions should avoid 90° angles with corners that cannot be reached during cleaning.
Dead ends, angles, and recesses must be avoided.
The disassembly of system components must be achievable with simple means, i.e. toolless or one-tool removal.

Essentials of Hygienic Design

Successful hygienic design starts simply. The selection of equipment must be appropriate for the process. If – as is often the case – wet cleaning is performed, the IP protection rating of the devices needs to be sufficient for the process. The material of the housings must withstand exposure to both the products and cleaning agents over the long term without deterioration of surface quality or smoothness. The systems must be installed in such a way that they are easily accessible and reachable during cleaning.

Factors like the frame design have a big influence here – an open frame supports ease of accessibility to system components and makes disassembly for cleaning easier. Floors, walls, and floor drains must also be designed accordingly. All surfaces should have a slope of approximately 3° to prevent puddles from forming and to ensure continuous draining or runoff of liquids. Any additions of components to the system should not dilute the original hygienic concept.

A hygienic production environment is not optional for food and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Investing in equipment designed with the maintenance of a hygienic environment in mind is an important part of creating this environment. This does not mean just looking for equipment with a suitably high IP rating (although this is obviously a part of that).

Hygienic design goes deeper than that – the design of the systems, how they are installed, and how they are expected to be cleaned is all part of the process. With the right equipment, your cleaning routines can be fast and effective, giving you more time to focus on production without putting your customers and brand at risk. Hygienic design may seem like an onorous expense. That can make it tempting to find a solution that only just meets industry requirements. However, while a cheaper solution may technically meet requirements, it is almost guaranteed to cause a headache further down the road. Hygienic design is only a cost driver at first glance. It pays off every day of production.

For more information on hygienic design and its benefits, you can read our white paper at the link below or contact us for more information.

How Hygienically-designed Equipment Can Reduce Operational Costs

About the Author

Holger Schmidt, Industry Manager for Food and Beverages

For more than two decades, Holger has been globally mediating the triangle between food and beverage producers, plant and machine builders, and automation companies, with a focus on hygienic sensor technologies. He supports METTLER TOLEDO customers in utilizing inline process analytical solutions to improve processes and stabilize high quality production.

As an active member of the EHEDG, he promotes and consults best possible hygienic integration and cleaning solutions.

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Search suggestions

Hygienic and Sanitary Designs

Powering Safety and Efficiency on Production Lines

The Importance of Hygienic Design

Designing for Efficient Cleaning

Designing for Efficient Operation

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Invest in Hygienic Design, Improve Efficiency and Safety

About the Author

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Washdown Checkweighers

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