3-A SSI Canvasses for Volunteers to Serve on Ad Hoc Working Groups for New Projects

McLEAN, Virginia – On September 25, 2024, the 3-A SSI Steering Committee approved the canvassing of several new Ad Hoc Work Groups (WG) for several exciting standards development activities. The 3-A Steering Committee is an important industry appointed consensus body that provides management, authority, and responsibility for the 3-A Sanitary Standards and 3-A Accepted Practices activities. The following projects and their scopes are offered for your consideration to join as a volunteer Observer or Voting Member:

Project B-13-11-A, Revision of 3-A Sanitary Standard for Farm Milk Cooling and Holding Tanks, Number 13-11. This project seeks to provide a resolution of comments post Steering Committee review and balloting. This 3-A Sanitary Standard applies to the sanitary aspects of tanks in which bulk milk is cooled and stored on dairy farms. Product enters at the inlet(s) and exits at the final termination point. Tanks made in conformance to this 3-A Sanitary Standard shall provide include a means for cooling the milk.

Project B-19-07-A, Revision of 3-A Sanitary Standard for Batch and Continuous Freezers for Ice Cream, Ices and Similarly Frozen Foods, Number 19-07. The project aims to adopt format and style per our Guidance Document and add pertinent language and references to the 3-A Sanitary Standard for General Requirements as a normative reference. This 3-A Sanitary Standard covers the sanitary aspects of batch and continuous freezers for ice cream, sherbets, sorbets, ices, and other similarly-frozen foods and equipment integral therewith, including pumps, equipment for incorporating air or introducing flavoring material into the product and mix supply tanks attached to and made as a part of the freezer. The Batch Freezer begins at the product infeed connection or hopper inlet and ends at the exit of the discharge valve or gate and includes all equipment in between. The Continuous Freezer begins at the product infeed connection of the unitized equipment and ends at the exit of the discharge pump or cylinder or barrel outlet valve or product connection outlet and includes all equipment in between and, when provided, the air inlet device. This standard does not include equipment for the continuous addition of fruits, nuts and other additives inclusions or ingredients that are not part of the unitized equipment. This standard does not cover equipment designed for the freezing of soft-serve type ice cream, ices, and similarly-frozen products which are served to the consumer without further hardening.

Project B-22-08-A, Revision of 3-A Sanitary Standard for Silo-Type Storage Tanks for Milk and Milk Products, Number 22-08 seeks to provide resolution of comments following a Working Group ballot for a full draft revision including title and scope. This 3-A Sanitary Standard applies to the sanitary aspects of silo-type storage tanks, with or without provisions for heating and cooling, including vent, overflow, and CIP spray lines.  Product enters the inlet(s) and exits the outlet(s) of the silo-type tank. for milk and milk products used at dairy processing plants.  These standards are not intended to cover silo-type tanks used on dairy farms.

Project B-41-03-A, Revision of 3-A Sanitary Standard for Mechanical Conveyors for Dry Products, Number 41-03 seeks to provide a resolution of comments post Steering Committee review and balloting. This 3-A Sanitary Standard applies to the sanitary aspects of mechanical equipment used solely for conveying dry milk and dry milk unpackaged products except bucket types and are not an integral part of the dryer, commencing with the point at which product enters the conveyor and ending at the point product is discharged from the conveyor. The types of conveyors include, but are not limited to the following: Belt or band, multiple parallel bands, link chain, bucket, plate, vibratory, drag chain, auger/screw, and table top. This 3-A Sanitary Standard does not apply to pneumatic conveyors that are covered under 3-A Sanitary Standard, Number 39-.

Project B-74-07-A, Revision of 3-A Sanitary Standard for Sensors and Sensor Fittings and Connections, Number 74-07 seeks to address amendment proposals under the 5-year periodic maintenance cycle. This 3-A Sanitary Standard applies to the sanitary aspects of sensors and sensor fittings and connections.  The sensor begins at the instrument connection(s) and fitting(s) if required, process contact component(s) and all external component(s) necessary for operation. This 3-A Sanitary Standard does not apply to 3-A Sanitary Standard for Flow Meters, 28-; 3-A Sanitary Standard for Refractometers and Energy-Absorbing Optical Sensors, 46-; or 3-A Sanitary Standard for Level Sensing Devices for Dry Products, 50-.

Project B-603-07-A will open the 3-A Accepted Practice for the Sanitary Construction, Installation, Testing and Operation of High-Temperature Short-Time and Higher-Heat Shorter-Time Pasteurizer Systems, Number 603-07 to any proposed amendments under the 5-year periodic maintenance cycle. This 3-A Accepted Practices shall pertain to high-temperature short-time (HTST) and higher-heat shorter-time (HHST) pasteurization equipment, appurtenances, and controls used in a complete pasteurization system for milk and milk products. In addition to pasteurization, such systems may include flavor control, vacuum treatment, homogenization, clarification, separation, or other processes, which if included, are to be installed so that they do not influence required time, temperature, flow and pressure relationships.

Following our canvassing and balancing of each WG, Members will confer their Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, and Document Leader. Following drafting, a ballot and public comment period with resolution of comments will take place. Any substantive changes proposed as a result of the resolution of comments will be balloted. The final WG approved draft will advance to the 3-A Steering Committee for their final approval prior to publication. For a copy of our current Procedures please visit: https://www.3-a.org/working-groups

You may join any of the open Ad Hoc Working Groups as a voting member or observer. Observers are not issued ballots but may comment during the drafting period and public comment period. The application period to join as a voting member will end on November 1, 2024, or until all voting seats are filled. Please contact Eric Schweitzer, Director of Standards & Certification at erics@3-a.org for more information and to obtain an application form.

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