FOOD PROCESSING & PACKAGING
REDEFINING HYGIENE: AN INVESTMENT, NOT A COST
Kevin Saunders, an expertise director at NIRAS UK, explains why hygiene should no longer be viewed as a cost of doing business, but as a practical way to improve overall performance
aintaining stringent hygiene processes across food and beverage manufacturing facilities is of the utmost importance, as both a legal and public health necessity, and a cornerstone of effective operations. Anyone working in the food and beverage manufacturing sector will understand how much depends on small details. Having spent my career working primarily in breweries, distilleries and soft drinks plants, it’s easy to notice the impact of how Cleaning In Place (CIP) plant and process plant are arranged, and the balance of interaction between areas.
M
The industry has made huge strides over the last 30 years. Hygienic design principles are embedded in the vast majority of facilities meaning that everything - from the machinery and piping to floors and drains - is designed so that dirt, bacteria and residues can’t build up and cleaning can be done easily, thoroughly and safely. In some parts of the sector hygiene is still viewed as a cost centre, due to requirements for the maintenance and upgrades to plant and facilities, as well as the associated water, energy, and chemicals costs.
In truth, hygiene sits quietly behind smooth production. It’s about far more than cleanliness, and when hygiene is built into the design process early, it helps shorten cleaning cycles and maintains productivity. It’s a performance lever which is all too frequently overlooked.
Hygienic factory design When you think about hygienic factory design, your mind will probably go towards polished stainless steel and pipework but in beverage manufacturing the majority of
hygiene processes occur out of sight within pipes and valves.
In a brewery or soft drinks plant, for example, that means designing systems so cleaning is straightforward and predictable. If hygiene is built into the design from the beginning, cleaning becomes easier to validate and harder to get wrong. Retrofitting CIP processes in existing facilities is possible, but it’s often complex and disruptive compared to designing it properly from the start.
Smart choices in layout, access or equipment specification have a big impact
“
It’s here where details matter. A well- designed CIP network with respect to route, boundaries, lengths and well-planned utilisation will prevent significant challenges when the plant is up and running. It’s simple in principle, but it makes all the difference when the hygiene performance is incorporated early in the planning.
”
Value through design I’ve seen how much difference small design decisions can make. Smart choices in layout, access, or equipment specification often have a big impact once a plant is up and running, saving time, reducing cost, and easing the pressure on cleaning systems like CIP. This can be as simple as clear demarcation based on expected contamination or ensuring the right hygiene standards for non-
14 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025 | PROCESS & CONTROL
product but connected systems such as water and process gases. It might mean choosing equipment that helps a plant stay cleaner for longer, or upgrading to more efficient valves while planning properly for any maintenance needs that come with them.
Digital design tools make this process even more effective. Walking through a 3D model before construction allows us to identify cleaning and access challenges early, long before they become costly to fix. It’s not about adding technology for the sake of it, it’s about using the tools we already have to design plants that are cleaner, easier to operate and maintain, and more reliable day to day.
Supporting performance, not just safety
Over the years, I’ve learned that hygiene isn’t just something you design for, it’s something you design with. When it’s part of the conversation from the start, everything else tends to fall into place. Plants run better, cleaning takes less time, and the quality speaks for itself.
Good hygienic design should never be seen as a cost; it’s an investment that drives performance and value for manufacturing businesses. A well-executed hygienic factory design can extend the lifetime of equipment, support maximised yields and consistency, and reduce energy and water consumption. When hygiene is seen not as a burden but as an enabler of performance, efficiency, and product quality, the benefits extend far beyond compliance. These are real, measurable outcomes which directly improve how a plant performs every day.
NIRAS
niras.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
