2012 Annual Report (PDF) - 3-A Sanitary Standards

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Users Affirm 3-A ‘Brand’ Value Data collected from 3-A Symbol holders this year underlines the perceived importance of sanitary equipment design and display of the 3-A Symbol for food processing equipment. The customer feedback affirms the work of 3-A SSI over the past four years to reinforce the ‘3-A value’ among the principal stakeholder groups of 3-A SSI - processors, fabricators, and regulatory sanitarians. 3-A SSI Reaches Important New Audiences The data showed the leading reasons for seeking 3-A Symbol authorization were: XX Our customers ask for equipment covered by the 3-A Symbol. XX XX We want to be an industry leader. We believe it is important to provide the safest equipment from the sanitary design perspective. Most new 3-A Symbol applicants relied on the 3-A SSI web site for information on the 3-A Symbol and the application process. A large number of respondents worked in conjunction with a Certified Conformance Evaluator (CCE) to complete the application process. The respondents indicated the company planned to promote the company’s 3-A Symbol authorization to current/prospective customers in numerous ways, including: XX XX XX XX XX Brochures and literature In advertising, on our web site, and in equipment pamphlets Product line sheet as well as web site marketing ads Exhibitions and by product launch materials E-mail, ads in magazines, exhibits, brochures Research on the 3-A ‘brand’ value was conducted in 2008 and a series of new products and outreach initiatives were implemented each year since to promote more focused and consistent messages to all stakeholder groups on the true benefits of the 3-A Symbol. These resources included new marketing tools for 3-A Symbol holders, video resources, ‘white papers’, and extensive outreach activities. 3-A SSI announced the first recipients of a new 3-A SSI Student Travel Scholarship Award this year. The award is intended to help motivated, career-oriented students to participate in the annual education program of 3-A SSI and gain comprehensive knowledge about sanitary design for food processing equipment and systems. Five students received the award and participated in the 3-A SSI 2011 programs on May 17-20 at the Wyndham Milwaukee Airport Hotel & Convention Center in Milwaukee, WI. The student recipients represented Texas Tech University, Michigan State University, Pennsylvania State University, and the University of Minnesota. According to Dr. Ronald Schmidt (University of Florida), chair of 3-A SSI and long-time educator, “Food safety has become a highly important emphasis in food science and food microbiology curricula. However, sanitary equipment design, a critical element of food safety, is not often covered in depth in our programs. The 3-A SSI program provides a truly special opportunity for future food industry professionals to supplement their educational experience, gain indepth knowledge about sanitary equipment design in ‘the real world’ and network with a truly diverse group of industry leaders.” 3-A SSI continued its liaison with dairy representatives from emerging markets around the world as part of the U.S. Department of Commerce Special American Business Internship Training Program (SABIT). In April, 3-A SSI met with a group of dairy industry professionals from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. 3-A SSI briefed the delegates on 3-A Sanitary Standards, 3-A Accepted Practices and the 3-A Symbol. SABIT’s Dairy Processing and Packaging program aims to give participants a comprehensive understanding of the dairy industry in the U.S., with an emphasis on processing technologies, processing and packaging equipment, production automation, industry standards, safety regulations, strategic planning, marketing techniques, and other important industry topics. 3-A SSI provided a briefing on 3-A Sanitary Standards design criteria at a public workshop on Reprocessing of Reusable Medical Devices on June 9 at the FDA White Oak Campus in College Park, MD. The workshop planners sought more about the history of 3-A Sanitary Standards in developing food processing equipment standards and design principles that may have potential application to reusable medical devices for cleanability. The workshop attracted approximately 150 representatives, most from the medical instrumentation industry. The workshop was coordinated by the FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH). 3
3-A SSI reached out to many other audiences in the U.S. this year, including current 3-A Symbol holders and many potential new ‘customers’. The slate of events included a series of training seminars oriented to the work of professional regulatory sanitarians as well as participation in several major dairy industry trade shows. 3-A SSI also participated in the World Congress of the European Hygienic Equipment Design Group. April 12 SABIT Dairy Processing & Washington, DC Training June 9 FDA Public Workshop College Park, MD Reprocessing of Reusable Medical Devices July 11-13 National Association of Rapid City, SD Dairy Regulatory Officials July 31-Aug. 3 IAFP Annual Meeting Milwaukee, WI August 3 FDA Training Workshop Harrisburg, PA September 19-21 International Dairy Show Atlanta, GA September 14 FDA Training Workshop Rockford, IL September 22-24 EHEDG World Congress on Hygienic & Design Engineering Ohrid, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia November 1-4 Process Expo Chicago, IL Volunteer Certified Conformance Evaluators (CCEs) supported the FDA training workshops including Gabe Miller and Robert Elbich. 3-A Steering Committee Chair F. Tracy Schonrock contributed a presentation for the EHEDG World Congress. The 3-A SSI web site is now available for translation in 53 different languages. 3-A SSI added a new translation utility which can be used to view content on virtually all of the pages of the 3-A SSI site, including 3-A Symbol authorization certificate information. 3-A SSI Acts to Protect 3-A Symbol Since submitting its application to authorities last year, 3-A SSI has provided supplemental information to support its request for official trademark registration of the 3-A Symbol in China. The trademark registration of 3-A SSI is intended to help raise general awareness of the mark and 3-A SSI’s property rights. Under international trademark registration rules, registered protection of the mark in China is due to become final around mid-2012, unless a provisional refusal is made by the Chinese Trademark Office. The official registration of the mark in China will enhance the ability of 3-A SSI to enforce its property rights in China and obtain relief from infringing parties in a legal proceeding. 3-A SSI may seek registration of the mark in other countries at a later date. In an era of expanding international commerce in processing equipment and wider industry use of equipment built to 3-A Sanitary Standards, 3-A SSI continues to urge potential buyers of equipment to exercise diligence and caution in specifying or purchasing equipment. A casual on-line search today will yield literally hundreds of manufacturers or marketers of food processing equipment. Many of these entities state claims such as ‘meets 3A’, ‘conforms to 3A standards’, or the equipment may include ‘3A’ in a model name or designation. Such references attempt to capitalize on the broad, positive recognition of the 3-A Symbol by suggesting the equipment meets the criteria for 3-A Symbol authorization. Unless the supplier has verified conformance through the voluntary 3-A Symbol licensing program, the buyer is solely responsible for verifying whether the equipment meets the desired (and expected) sanitary design and fabrication criteria. 3-A SSI maintains a special ‘buyer beware’ resource on the 3-A SSI web site to help processors, consumers, equipment specifiers and others identify equipment sellers that make false or misleading claims of conforming to the sanitary design or fabrication criteria of 3-A Symbol authorization. The resource lists companies and marketing web sites that feature misleading or false information about the sanitary design of products used widely in dairy and other food processing applications. Several updates were made to the information this year. 3-A SSI licenses use of the 3-A Symbol to fabricators to identify equipment that meets 3-A Sanitary Standards for design and fabrication. Voluntary use of the 3-A Symbol by dairy and food equipment fabricators assures processors that equipment meets sanitary standards, provides accepted criteria to equipment manufacturers for sanitary design, and establishes guidelines for uniform evaluation and compliance by sanitarians in the U.S. 3-A SSI Recognizes Volunteer Service Introduced in 2008, the 3-A SSI Volunteer Service Awards recognize the extraordinary dedication and commitment of individuals who contribute to the development of voluntary standards and the mission of 3-A SSI. Nominations for the awards are made by fellow volunteers from the three stakeholder groups in 3-A SSI—regulatory sanitarians, fabricators, and processors—and others. Winners of the 3-A SSI Volunteer Service Awards for 2011 included: XX XX Robert Semerad (USDA retired) received the Leadership Service Award for outstanding service to 3-A SSI voluntary standards development and significant contributions to the mission of 3-A SSI. Lyle Clem (Electrol Specialties Corp.) received the Advancement Award for outstanding accomplishments on behalf of 3-A SSI. 4
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2012 Annual Report (PDF) - 3-A Sanitary Standards

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