News and Press Releases


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 24, 2009

Contact: Timothy R. Rugh, CAE
Email: trugh@3-a.org

3-A SSI Introduces New ‘Buyer Beware’ Resource
McLEAN, Virginia - 3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc. (3-A SSI) announces a new on-line resource to help processors, consumers, equipment specifiers and others identify equipment sellers that make false or misleading claims of conforming to the sanitary design or fabrication criteria of 3-A Symbol authorization.  The new resource, ‘Buyer Beware: False or Misleading Claims’, lists companies and marketing web sites that feature misleading or false information about the sanitary design of products used widely in dairy and other food processing applications.

Today literally hundreds of sellers market food processing equipment on-line or through B2B web sites, and many state claims such as ‘meets 3A’, ‘conforms to 3A standards’, or the equipment may include ‘3A’ in a model name or designation.  Such references suggest the equipment meets the criteria for 3-A Symbol authorization.  Unless the supplier is an authorized 3-A Symbol holder, the buyer is solely responsible for verifying whether the equipment meets the desired (and expected) sanitary design and fabrication criteria. 

According to 3-A SSI Executive Director Tim Rugh, “All equipment is not created equal and even if it were, wouldn’t you want to verify it?  Processors around the world know and trust the 3-A Symbol and that’s why they demand it for their food processing equipment.  All equipment displaying the 3-A Symbol or making a claim of 3-A Symbol authorization must pass a comprehensive, independent Third Party Verification (TPV) inspection to assure it meets the sanitary design criteria in a 3-A Sanitary Standard.”

“3-A SSI quickly found many unsupported statements of conformance to 3-A Sanitary Standards, 3-A Certification, or authorization to use the 3-A Symbol, including some products such as ‘sanitary butterfly valves’, for which no 3-A Sanitary Standard exists.  Unfortunately, the number of suspect or misleading claims made on-line and the legal expense for obtaining prompt corrections are beyond the resources of 3-A SSI,” Rugh said. 

To assist processors, buyers or specifiers, 3-A SSI now provides a list of the entities it has contacted to request the removal of the 3-A Symbol or correction of false or misleading claims.  The new resource is available on the 3-A SSI web site under ‘The 3-A Symbol’ or go directly to: www.3-a.org/symbol/buyer_beware.html.  3-A SSI will update the listings periodically.

3-A SSI encourages those searching for food processing equipment that meets stringent criteria for sanitary design and fabrication to verify the equipment maintains authorization to display the 3-A Symbol.  See the current list of authorized 3-A Symbol holders at:  www.3-a.org/symbol/3-a_symbol_holders.pdf.

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3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc. is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to enhance product safety
for consumers of food, beverages, and pharmaceutical products through the development and use of 3-A Sanitary Standards and 3-A Accepted Practices. Visit the 3-A SSI web site at www.3-a.org.