More investment is needed in hygienically designed food production equipment and environments to ensure safe food, claims Lammert Baas, project manager for the European Hygienic Engineering & Design (EHEDG) World Congress, which takes place at the ExCel exhibition centre in London from 21-22 November during the Food Matters Live event.
Without sufficient investment, it will be more difficult to bring the latest approaches to hygienic design to the market, which in turn will make our food more vulnerable to food safety incidents and product recalls, warns Baas. Baas is supporting the EHEDG UK regional team in the organising the EHEDG World Congress, which takes place for the first time this year in the UK.
Reduce product recall risks
“Non-hygienically designed equipment is still available in the global food and beverage market,” claimed Baas. “Food manufacturers need to understand the value of hygienically designed and engineered equipment and installations, since hygienic design offers the best option for safe food production, reducing the risks of recalls and other problems.”
EHEDG is a consortium and expert network of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and hygiene products suppliers, explains Baas. It includes food and drink manufacturers and retailers, research institutes and public health authorities, committed to the promotion of hygienic design and engineering in every aspect of food production. EHEDG’s aim is to raise levels of food safety globally.
Not only does hygienic design ensure manufacturers have a ‘food-safe’ production environment, enabling the production of high quality products, it helps with brand protection, said Baas. Using design and installation guidelines for food and drink production operations developed by EHEDG experts around the globe, it is possible to improve process line efficiencies while improving equipment ‘cleanability’, he added. More efficient cleaning and disinfection helps reduce the time and cost of cleaning cycles, reducing the total cost of ownership.
Empowering the industry
The EHEDG World Congress 2018 is targeted at professionals in the food and drink sector involved with the specification, installation and integration of equipment and facilities for the production and processing of safe food. It is designed to educate, equip and empower delegates attending, allowing them to put into practice the practical knowledge they have gained during the congress, explained Baas.
The EHEDG World Congress will also provide information about new and innovative ways to manage food industry hygiene, through both speaker presentations and poster displays outlining the latest results of research conducted by both industry and academia.