We often hear that people have gotten ill by consuming contaminated food and in some of the worst cases, consumers are even died and when the laboratory tests are done on the food samples, the food is declared unfit for human consumption and poisonous. The reasons behind the food getting contaminated or poisonous vary from case to case; there may be ignorance of food safety standards while processing the food at manufacturers’ end; usage of substandard or expired food material; nonfood grade packaging; inclusion of contaminated or toxic particles during transportation or cooking the food in substandard equipment that are not complying with the food safety standards as prescribed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or any other relevant regulatory body of a specific country.

In order to prevent such cases which occur due to the usage of substandard sanitary equipment which are not complying with the food safety standards, new trends have been introduced while designing the sanitary equipment which are directly related to the food industry. We know the criticality of high quality standards in food industry; however, one should be mindful of that these standards are not only limited to the food manufacturing but similar safety standards need to be followed when food is made ready for human consumption in different food equipment.

We are going to discuss here some of the new trends of sanitary equipment designs that ensure improved food safety standards. Usage of higher grade of stainless steel in manufacturing of these specific equipment has substantially enhanced the food safety as the higher grade stainless steel has the ability to endure exposure to different chemicals used in sanitation. Type 304 and 316 are the most common stainless steel finishes which are suitable for the food processing industry. These types of stainless steel provide better bacterial resistance and have the capability of improved cleaning. Other than that, availability of anti-stick surfaces has also reduced the potential for raw materials to stick to the equipment surfaces. This feature does not allow the safe havens for bacteria colonies to flourish and make the equipment unhealthy for food processing. Anti-stick surfaces also protect formation of bio films that are often resistant to chemicals and inferior sanitation practices. The new coatings of the anti-stick surfaces are approved by the regulatory bodies and should be made part and parcel of food equipment.

Cleaning of sanitary equipment is also an important factor and plays a pivotal role in keeping the food safety standards intact. In a new cleaning chemical technology, chemicals used for clean-in-place (CIP) and clean-out-place stations (COP) are being developed and massive concentration has been emphasized to improve the sanitation and reduce the time spent on their cleaning. It is also appreciative that many manufacturers have started conducting onsite testing of the sanitary equipment to ensure their quality and compliance with the food safety standards that is definitely a positive sign for everyone associated with the food business.

By introducing such new trends in sanitary equipment designs, we are certainly going to witness improvement in the food safety standards and a peace of mind for end consumers.