The EHEDG (European Hygienic Equipment Design Group) has been supporting hygiene measures during the production and packaging of food since 1989 and is a foundation of food-related organizations.
The main task of EHEDG is to contribute to hygienic engineering and design in all areas of food production and thus to ensure the safe production of food. The EHEDG certifies hygienic components only if they satisfy theoretical approaches on the one hand and practical tests on the other. The EHEDG certificate is mainly recognized in Europe.
A high focus on hygienic design ensures that the bearing house can be cleaned behind and around the shaft and furthermore, NGI offers hygienic spacers to increase the distance to machines and equipment to over an inch as recommended by the USDA.
Sum up of requirements for the USDA certification:
- 1 inch (25mm) minimum space
- Material food approved
- Roughness maximum 1.6 Ra we are at 0.8 Ra
- Radii minimum 3.2 mm
3-A SSI is a US-based, non-profit organization dedicated to improving hygiene design in the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries. The standards set are intended to ensure product quality and thus protect the health of the end user. The principles and certificates are therefore recognized by many countries and food manufacturers.
For the certification of hygienic parts, the evaluation is based on design features, so that, for example in a pipe, small angles or small radii should be avoided. This is to ensure the protection of consumer goods from contamination, a simple possibility for cleaning surfaces, and easy disassembly for cleaning purposes.