In the food industry, hygiene isn’t just good practice—it’s an essential requirement for ensuring safety, quality, and regulatory compliance.
But is designing machines that are “easy to clean” really enough?
The answer is no.
Preventing contamination and protecting the end consumer requires a much more advanced, structured, and systematic approach.
That’s why today we’re talking about Hygienic Design: a set of construction criteria, design choices, and specific materials developed to eliminate risk areas, simplify sanitation, and guarantee the highest standards in food safety.
Hygienic Design in the Spotlight: Why It’s Transforming Food Production
In recent years, tighter regulations and a growing focus on food safety have brought Hygienic Design to center stage.
Food manufacturers are dealing with increasingly automated processes—and maintaining high hygiene standards throughout the entire line, including the most complex phases like internal transport and handling, is now a top priority.
Key challenges include:
- Preventing cross-contamination, both microbiological and chemical.
- Ensuring fast and effective cleaning of every product-contact surface.
- Reducing water and detergent consumption to meet both sustainability goals and cost control.
- Complying with EHEDG (European Hygienic Engineering and Design Group) guidelines, now a benchmark across the European industry.
Hygienic Design Is More Than Just Stainless Steel
Many think Hygienic Design simply means using stainless steel—but that’s only part of the story.
A proper approach starts with material selection but extends to surface geometry, accessibility for cleaning, the absence of gaps and stagnation areas, and tool-free disassembly of washable components.
Among the most common materials, AISI 304 stainless steel with bead-blasted or 2B finishes is standard for frames and load-bearing structures.
But plastic materials also play a key role. For instance, M.H.’s Saniflex system uses polypropylene chains with polyketone pins—highly resistant to the chemical agents used during sanitation.
Saniflex: Designing Hygiene with No Compromise
M.H. Material Handling developed the Saniflex system specifically to meet the toughest requirements of the food industry, particularly in dairy production.
In these environments—where processing fresh and packaged cheese demands absolute cleanliness—standard solutions simply aren’t enough.
Saniflex stands out thanks to:
- Fully open frame design that prevents build-up and supports efficient drainage.
- Tool-free removable components for fast and easy daily or deep cleaning.
- Chains resistant to aggressive detergents but fully compliant with food-grade regulations.
- Reduction in water and detergent use compared to traditional systems.
The result?
A solution that enhances productivity, guarantees hygienic safety, and supports environmental sustainability targets.
Invisible Contamination: The “Forever Chemicals” Risk
Hygienic Design isn’t just about bacteria and mold.
Today, manufacturers must also consider chemical contamination from persistent substances like PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), often called “forever chemicals.” These may come from the environment, industrial coatings, or even the detergents used on production lines.
Designing equipment that’s easy to clean also means reducing surface exposure to these chemicals.
With Saniflex, manufacturers can:
- Reduce washing cycles.
- Use gentler, less aggressive detergents.
- Minimize the risk of transferring harmful substances onto the product.
When Hygienic Design Becomes a Competitive Advantage
Hygienic Design is a strategic investment that brings measurable benefits:
- shorter downtimes,
- longer equipment lifespan,
- lower cleaning costs,
- stronger food safety,
- regulatory compliance.
At M.H. Material Handling, these principles are a cornerstone of our engineering.
With solutions like Saniflex, we combine technological innovation, operational efficiency, and full adherence to the strictest international guidelines.
Wondering if your production line meets today’s hygiene standards?
Book a free consultation with our experts via our MH Scan Solution service: we’ll assess your system’s critical points and show you how to optimize safety, efficiency, and sustainability.
Co-Owner M.H. Material Handling Spa – For almost twenty years he has been working in the field of product handling during packaging, supporting companies that want to optimize the entire line. Always up-to-date on industry innovations and new materials, he makes his experience available to clients with the ultimate goal of eliminating interruptions and inefficiencies in the packaging process. Voracious reader, overnight writer and content creator.
