Important New Direction for 3-A Symbol

3-A SSI has maintained a globally recognized Third Party Verification (TPV) program since 2003 and endeavored to cover equipment that spans over 80 different types of equipment standards. The criterion within these documents prescribes CIP (clean in place) and COP (clean out of place) requirements to ensure appropriate cleanability and inspectability of equipment.

3-A SSI is often recognized for a history largely oriented to equipment and systems for dairy food processing which “meets the intent” of the FDA’s ‘Grade A’ Pasteurized Milk Ordinance and USDA’s General Specifications for Dairy Plants Approved for USDA Inspection and Grading Service. In this new era of the Food Safety Modernization Act and corporate priorities for improved equipment, 3-A SSI’s standards and accepted practices are now widely specified by major users in the beverage/bottling, brewery, confectionery, personal care and cosmetics products, bakery, agricultural and harvesting, juice, robotics and many other industries which require a high level of hygienic design.  3-A SSI may also be gaining new attention for certain applications in the meat and poultry processing industry.

Over many years, the hygienic design principles embodied in 3-A SSI criteria have been embraced by other standards developing organizations. A great example is the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), which adopted, in part, many common criteria for meat and poultry processing applications. Standards 14159-1, Hygiene Requirements for the Design of Meat and Poultry Processing Equipment, -2 (for handheld tools), and -3 (for mechanical belt conveyors), all originally international (ISO) standards, are joint 3-A/NSF standards and designated American National Standards. The USDA/AMS offers a certificate for meat and poultry equipment based on these standards. For many years, 3-A SSI has also offered use of the 3-A Symbol for equipment covered by these standards, subject to Third Party Verification by a Certified Conformance Evaluator.

3-A SSI recently posted the first online certificate for 3-A Symbol Authorization #3943, for a CIP/COP cabinet washer manufactured by Sani-Matic with a hygiene level of 2 and suitable for processing components in direct contact with meat and poultry. The cabinet washer can be CIP cleaned with components identified that must be disassembled periodically for inspection and manual cleaning. If you are wondering what the different hygiene levels mean, Standard 14159-1 defines these hygiene levels:

• Hygiene level 1 applies to “equipment which, following a hygiene risk assessment, needs only to partially conform with the requirements of this Standard to meet the identified risk(s) and to produce safe product.” 3-A SSI does not authorize the use of our 3-A Symbol for any equipment under Hygiene Level 1.
• Hygiene level 2 is “equipment which, following a hygiene risk assessment, conforms with the requirements of this Standard, but requires planned disassembly for cleaning.”
• Hygiene level 3 is “equipment which, following a hygiene risk assessment, conforms fully with this Standard and can be cleaned without disassembly.”
• Hygiene level 4 is “equipment which, following a hygiene risk assessment, conforms fully with this Standard and has been designed for a specified heat, chemical or physical treatment to free the equipment from relevant microorganisms.”
• Hygiene level 5 is “equipment which, following a hygiene risk assessment, conforms fully with this Standard, will prevent microbial ingress and has been designed for a specified heat, chemical or physical treatment to free the equipment from relevant microorganisms.”

3-A SSI typically lists models that are authorized to use the 3-A Symbol either as ‘CIP,’ ‘COP,’ or ‘both CIP and COP.’ A hygiene level of 2 is equivalent to a COP design and a hygiene level 3 through 5 as CIP.

The new 3-A Symbol authorization for this equipment could mark the beginning of an important turning point in the use of the 3-A Symbol outside of the dairy processing industry. We know the FSMA and important other important new Federal legislation, such as the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MOCRA), will highlight the need for greater attention to hygienic equipment design and the application of voluntary industry standards built on 3-A SSI criteria. These standards are crafted to address the greater need for equipment maintenance and oversight to ensure pathogen controls and good manufacturing practices are adequately covered by the producers.

To learn more about our TPV Programs and 3-A Symbol Authorization for your meat and poultry equipment, you may contact Eric Schweitzer, Director, Certification & Standards at erics@3-a.org; 703-790-0295 ext.1.