EHEDG (European Hygienic Engineering and Design Group) defines design principles that make a machine easily cleanable and inherently microbiologically safe. It is not a mandatory certification, but is the reference standard for quality food machines.
EHEDG principles applied to packaging
A machine compliant with EHEDG principles is recognised by the absence of 90° corners, continuity of welded surfaces, drainage outlets for wash water and accessibility of every zone without disassembly. These principles translate to drastically reduced cleaning times and minimal residual microbiological risk.
- Smooth and continuous surfaces: roughness Ra ≤ 0.8 µm at food contact
- No 90° corners: minimum radius 3 mm in contact zones
- Continuous polished welds: no porosity or cracks for bacterial growth
- Complete drainage: minimum 3° slope towards drains
- Total accessibility: every zone cleanable without tools within 10 min
Clean-in-Place (CIP) and clean-out-of-place (COP)
CIP-compatible machines allow sanitation without disassembly, with detergent and water circulating through internal circuits. COP machines require disassembly of contact components for cleaning. For food packaging in humid environments, CIP is preferable as it reduces downtime and risk of recontamination during reassembly.
- CIP: circulating detergent without disassembly — machine downtime 20-30 min
- COP: component disassembly — machine downtime 45-90 min
- Alkaline detergents (80-90°C): for fats and proteins
- Acid detergents: for mineral deposits and hard water stains
- Sanitisers (peroxide, hypochlorite): residual bacterial count reduction
Economic benefits of hygienic design
A machine with hygienic design costs on average 10-20% more, but reduces sanitation time by 40-60%, translating to more production hours every day. On a line producing 16 hours/day with 2 hours cleaning, reducing cleaning to 1 hour equals a 6.25% increase in production capacity.
- Cleaning time reduction: -40% / -60% with EHEDG design
- Water and detergent consumption reduction: -25% / -35%
- Microbiological non-conformities reduction: -70% (customer experience)
- Retail and food service audits: hygienic design is a growing requirement
Want machines with EHEDG hygienic design?
EMA Pack machines are designed according to EHEDG principles. Request a detailed technical datasheet.
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