New Standards Development Projects Moving Ahead at 3-A SSI

Since adopting new Procedures for the Development and Maintenance of 3-A Sanitary Standards and Accepted Practices in May, 3-A SSI has been recruiting and mobilizing volunteers to work on several fronts in Ad Hoc Working Groups (WG). Our newest WG for General Requirements is now headed up by Chair Michelle Stedman of FDA/CFSAN, Vice Chair Warren Green of Hixson, and Document Leader Graham Hicken of Tetra Pak. The 3-A Steering Committee charged the WG to prepare a draft with significant revision proposals for ANSI/3-A Sanitary Standard for General Requirements, 00-01-2018 (GR). The WG has been meeting regularly to consider proposed revisions to the GR and has asked for substantive comments prior to holding their first WG ballot. The GR contains all the fundamentals of hygienic design (definitions, materials, fabrication requirements, and an informative appendix) and serves as the ‘A Level’ base standard and normative reference for a companion individual ‘B Level’ equipment standard or accepted practice.

3-A SSI Needs You: Stand Up and Sign Up!

Volunteer participation is crucial for 3-A SSI to constantly improve standards for the hygienic design of food processing equipment.  It brings diverse expertise, fosters innovation, and helps create safer, more efficient, and universally accepted standards that protect public health and enhance food safety.

The 3-A Steering Committee has also approved canvassing for new WGs to undertake the revision of several individual 3-A Sanitary Standards and an Accepted Practice. We cordially invite equipment fabricators, users, regulatory sanitarians or anyone with an interest in 3-A SSI hygienic equipment to join any of the revision projects named below.  Just complete and submit a simple application to participate either as an Observer or a Voting Member. The final assembled balanced WG will appoint their WG officers and be available to review proposed changes and offer comments on the final draft as well as ballot, if a Voting Member.  To learn more about the scope of each Standard/Accepted Practice, please visit our Standards page here: https://www.3-a.org/standards

• 3-A Sanitary Standard for Farm Milk Cooling and Holding Tanks, Number 13-11  
• 3-A Sanitary Standard for Batch and Continuous Freezers for Ice Cream, Ices and Similarly Frozen Foods, Number 19-07
• 3-A Sanitary Standard for Silo-Type Tanks, Number 22-08
• 3-A Sanitary Standard for Mechanical Conveyors, Number 41-03
• 3-A Sanitary Standard for Sensors and Sensor Fittings and Connections, Number 74-07
• 3-A Accepted Practice for HTST/HHST Pasteurizer Systems, Number 603-07

Get involved and expand your knowledge of modern hygienic design! Join a 3-A SSI WG today free of charge and network with experts from around the world. Please contact Eric Schweitzer, Director of Standards and Certification at erics@3-a.org for inquiries and applications to join our new WGs.