The document outlines 11 principles of sanitary facility design for food production facilities. The principles establish distinct hygienic zones; control personnel and material flows to reduce hazards; and control water accumulations, temperature, humidity, airflow, and air quality. Additional principles address site elements, building envelopes, interior spatial design, building components, utility systems design, and integrating sanitation into the overall facility design. Thorough cleaning and sanitation are critical to maintaining food safety and quality.

1. 11 PRINCIPLES OF
SANITARY FACILITY DESIGN

2. Creating hygienic zones through
physical separation has become an
industry standard and is essential to food
safety. Other benefits are also realized,
such as the ability to keep one line running
while another is down for sanitation or
changeovers, or to use allergens on
adjacent lines with no cross-contamination
concerns.
PRINCIPLE 1: DISTINCT HYGIENIC ZONES
ESTABLISHED IN THE FACILITY

3. PRINCIPLE 2: PERSONNEL AND MATERIAL
FLOWS CONTROLLED TO REDUCE
HAZARDS
Once the plant is physically divided into
distinct zones, flow of personnel and
materials can be better controlled. Workers,
visitors, products, ingredients and packaging
material all must be carefully managed as
they move from one area to another to avoid
cross-contamination.

4. PRINCIPLE 3: WATER ACCUMULATIONS
CONTROLLED INSIDE THE FACILITY
Water is an essential part of products,
process and sanitation. But it is also one of
the greatest threats to food safety. From the
walls to the floors and ceilings, the design
must prevent accumulation of water and, in
fact, facilitate positive drainage and water
removal.

5. PRINCIPLE 4: ROOM TEMPERATURE AND
HUMIDITY CONTROLLED
Leading companies in the field of
engineering, fabrication, installation and
servicing of refrigeration and mechanical
systems are uniquely qualified in the
control of room temperature and humidity
to facilitate control of microbial growth.

6. PRINCIPLE 5: ROOM AIRFLOW AND ROOM
AIR-QUALITY CONTROL
Properly controlling the flow of air
through a food-processing plant is vital to
food safety. protecting what is often
referred to as the “heartbeat zone” of the
plant, where the product first becomes
ready to eat. All air that comes into this
zone must be high-quality, clean air. In
addition, air from raw-product zones must
travel in the opposite direction and exit
directly from plant.

7. PRINCIPLE 6: SITE ELEMENTS FACILITATE
SANITARY CONDITIONS
The property line is a processing plant’s
first line of defense in food safety. With
true, single-source responsibility and
accountability, from design through
construction, we can better ensure site
elements such as site security, personnel
safety, vehicle management, site lighting,
grading and water-management systems to
facilitate safe, secure and sanitary site
conditions.

8. PRINCIPLE 7: BUILDING ENVELOPE
FACILITATES SANITARY CONDITIONS
With thermal specialists, including
architects, engineers, construction
managers and superintendents, and other
field technicians, Industry leading
companies ensured that they are fully
equipped to construct a vapor barrier of
uncompromising integrity. They install
insulated-panel walls, roofing, doors, floors
and ductwork to create an integrated
structure that require temperatures as low
as -40˚ Fahrenheit.

9. PRINCIPLE 8: INTERIOR SPATIAL DESIGN
PROMOTES SANITATION
Process engineers from the world’s
leading food companies, with years of
specialized experience designing
production lines, collaborate with building
designers and construction professionals
on each project. This teamwork allows for
better communication, design coordination,
and higher levels of innovation, both
essential to food safety.

10. PRINCIPLE 9: BUILDING COMPONENTS AND
CONSTRUCTION FACILITATE SANITARY
CONDITIONS
Professionals understand how food
safety can be affected by floor surfaces,
wall finishes and coatings, and design
items such as walk-on ceilings. They also
know that details such as seal-tight gaskets
around wall-penetrating pipes and smooth,
cleanable finishes on walls and other
surfaces can make the difference in food
safety.

11. PRINCIPLE 10: UTILITY SYSTEMS DESIGNED
TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION
By properly securing utility systems and
specifying materials, finishes and other
sanitary design details of the utility system,
easy access for cleaning, inspection and
maintenance are provided to prevent
collection areas for bacteria.

12. PRINCIPLE 11: SANITATION INTEGRATED INTO
FACILITY DESIGN
Every nook and cranny are scrutinized
to ensure the design promotes sanitation
in every way possible. This includes simple
things such as the design of clean-room
entries into processing plants; skid-
mounted equipment; round tubing; minimal
flat surfaces; use of the right types of
chemicals; and the installation of all sinks,
conduit, fixtures and more on stand-offs
away from the wall to enable easy access
for cleaning

13. Cleaning and sanitation in the food industry are
critical for maintaining quality. They are necessary
steps that should not be taken lightly or rushed so
the facility can return to production. Taking the
necessary time to thoroughly sanitize, training
personnel on the appropriate techniques, and
investing in the most effective sanitizing products
will help ensure that your facilities consistently
deliver quality food products.
The old saying that “an ounce of prevention is
worth a pound of cure” is true in many arenas.
When it comes to cleaning and sanitation in the
food industry, a small investment can ultimately
save millions and protect your brand, not to
mention ensure the safety of the people who