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

More documents

Recommendations

Info

3-A SSI Solidifies Role in Education 3-A SSI reinforced its positive role as a valued education resource this year with comprehensive education on leading topics on sanitary design at the 3-A SSI Annual Meeting in Milwaukee. A full-day education program, ‘3-A: The Complete Sanitary Approach’, explored the ‘core’ elements of 3-A Sanitary Standards and sanitary design of equipment and assessed the many other complex factors and challenges beyond the construction of discrete units of ‘3-A’ equipment’ that can potentially impact the equipment, systems, facility and the goal of food safety. The program theme emphasized that the new reality of food safety requires a firm understanding of ‘3-A’ and all of the potential threats to sanitary design. Topics and presenters for the program included: XX XX XX XX XX XX 3-A: The Complete Approach to Sanitary Design — Joe Stout, Commercial Food Sanitation LLC The Facility and Installation Requirements — Dennis Glick, USDA Dairy Grading Branch Keeping it ‘3-A’: Maintenance and Training — Dan Erickson, Harold Wainess & Associates The 3-A Symbol and Oversight — Tracy Schonrock, Chair, 3-A Steering Committee Third Party Verification: What Have We Learned? — Lyle Clem, Electrol Specialties Co., Dan Erickson, Harold Wainess & Associates Regulatory Sanitarian Perspectives — Dennis Glick, USDA Dairy Grading Branch, Randy Elsberry, Regional Dairy Specialist, FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs, Pacific Region. XX New Food Safety Legislation and Industry Perspectives - Dr. Ron Schmidt, University of Florida XX XX Simplified Sanitary Design Solutions — Stuart Salvador, Paul Mueller Co. EHEDG Design Guidelines for Separators — Reinhard Moss, Head of Research & Development, GEA Westfalia Separator Group GmbH XX When and How is Passivation of Stainless Steels Needed? - Dick Avery, The Nickel Institute The program also featured several interactive sessions for all participants to exchange views on technical subjects and criteria under review within the various 3-A SSI Work Groups. 3-A SSI Enhances Professionalism of Inspection Program 3-A SSI maintains an accreditation program for Certified Conformance Evaluators (CCEs). CCEs are independent equipment inspection professionals accredited by 3-A SSI to verify the conformance of equipment in the TPV inspection program. The TPV inspection is a requirement of the 3-A Symbol licensing program, P3-A Symbol licensing and other voluntary 3-A SSI certificate programs. 3-A SSI worked this year to advance the knowledge and skills of its CCEs during a year of very high demand for new and renewal Third Party Verification (TPV) inspections. In the past year alone, the CCEs performed more than 150 equipment TPV inspections for the five-year renewal or new 3-A Symbol applications. The TPV Coordinating Committee, consisting of regulatory sanitarians, fabricator and processor representatives, supervised a special training seminar for CCEs. Seminar participation is encouraged for maintenance of CCE accreditation. The Committee coordinated a series of phone conferences throughout the year to establish and revise TPV Program procedures and exchange information on the application of 3-A Sanitary Standards and other hygienic design issues relating to the performance of TPV inspections. The Committee also published several bulletins to provide guidance on consistent and uniform CCE inspection services. The new bulletins are available on the 3-A SSI web site. 3-A SSI Begins Revamp of Standards 3-A SSI announced the development of a new base or “A-level” standard for the sanitary design, materials of construction, and fabrication techniques of dairy and other food and beverage equipment used to handle, process and package consumable products where a high degree of sanitation is required. 3-A SSI is developing the “A level” standard as an American National Standard and has invited all interested parties to participate in the major project. The primary purpose of the new comprehensive standard is to help streamline the upkeep of numerous 3-A Sanitary Standards which are specified for the processing of milk and dairy products. The new standard may also be beneficial to other industries where specific design criteria are desired for processing equipment that comes into contact with food products or other comestibles. 5
The new 3-A SSI “A level” standard will encompass key criteria which are common to 3-A Sanitary Standards. Some of these key criteria include definitions of important terms, acceptable materials and testing requirements, and fabrication details. Unlike other types of standards, 3-A Sanitary Standards relate to the cleanability of processing equipment. In conjunction with the new “A level” standard, 3-A SSI will develop the technical requirements applicable to specific types of equipment contained in a series of revamped “B-level” standards. 3-A SSI currently maintains 69 individual 3-A Sanitary Standards encompassing virtually all the major types of equipment involved in the processing and transport of fluid milk and dairy products. Under the new tiered system of standards, 3-A SSI will be able to more easily update the common criteria for its broad inventory of equipment standards. 3-A SSI relies on a network of dedicated subject matter experts from all interest groups to participate in the consensus process for developing and maintaining the large inventory of essential 3-A Sanitary Standards and 3-A Accepted Practices. At the direction of the 3-A Steering Committee, 14 Working Groups (WGs) coordinate the drafting of new or revised documents within particular groups of related equipment. All 14 WGs mobilized this year to revise current documents, create new standards, or in some cases, withdraw a document. Collectively, the WGs devoted hundreds of hours of discussion via phone conferences and meetings. Among the key accomplishments this year: XX XX XX XX Convened a new Working Group to address the development of the new “A level” Standard. a major, yet innovative, shift in the way 3-A SSI will develop sanitary standards. With an A/B level standards system, 3-A SSI will realize much higher efficiency by streamlining the standards update process. The following 3-A Sanitary Standards and 3-A Accepted Practice revisions were published: 20-27 (Multiple- Use Plastic Materials), 29-03 (Air Eliminators), 35-04 (Blending Equipment), 74-04 (Sensor and Sensor Fittings and Connections Used on Equipment) and 85-02 (Double-Seat Mixproof Valves). A new 3-A Accepted Practice was published, 612-00, Plant Environmental Air Quality. Quarterly Standards Developers’ conference calls were continued to support the effectiveness and efficiency of XX XX XX leaders and participants in the consensus development process. Over 175 conference calls were held to develop and revise the content of the 3-A Sanitary Standards and 3-A Accepted Practices within the Work Group document subgroups. Approximately 34 letter ballots were completed. There currently are 76 active standards development and revision proposals. This year 3-A SSI attained re-accreditation by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as a Standards Developer Organization. ANSI accreditation signifies the new procedures meet the Institute’s Essential Requirements for openness, balance, consensus and due process. Formal accreditation provides the opportunity for 3-A SSI to submit new standards developed in accordance with ANSI requirements as American National Standards. Pharmaceutical (P3-A) Standards A series of revisions to the current ANSI P3-A pump standard were circulated for a public review and ballot. The revisions were approved and a copy of the revised standard was issued in early 2012. The Pharmaceutical 3-A (P3-A) Council continues to work on four other new standards projects, including Agitated Filter Dryers, Vessels and Agitators, Mills and Classification Equipment, and Process Heat Exchangers. 6
Page 1 and 2: 3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc. 2012 A
Page 3 and 4: 3-A Symbol Program Reaches High Mar
Page 5: 3-A SSI reached out to many other a

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

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?