European food freezing industry launches a collaborative action to shape the future of the sector

The European Hygienic Engineering and Design Group  are reactivating their Subgroup of Food Refrigeration Equipment, whose mission is currently focusing on the following objectives, among other

•    Producing an EHEDG guideline entitled ‘Hygienic Design of Quick Freezing Equipment’, based on a 2005 and 2011 draft version. The aim is to cover all categories of food-freezing systems with industrial significance (e.g. multiplate contact freezers, air blast freezers, fluidised-bed freezers, impingement freezers, cryogenic flash freezers, etc.),

•    Publication of further EHEDG guidance documents which will address the whole food cold chain for refrigerated processing, warehousing (cold storage), distribution and retail of chilled and frozen-food commodities. A publication named ‘Emerging food refrigeration technologies and their implications for hygienic design’ could be released as well.

The scope will cover equipment design, challenge and commissioning testing, fulfillment of microbial standards, operational issues including cleaning systems, maintenance, regulatory and legislative matters. The Subgroup will collaborate with the international organizations involved in food refrigeration (such as IIR, IAR, ECSLA, Global Cold Chain Alliance – IARW/WFLO, etc.) in order to harmonize state-of-the-art hygienic design solutions with food refrigeration modern technologies.

The Kick-off Meeting of the Subgroup, bringing together top experts on food freezing equipment, will take place on December 6, 2013 from 10:00 a.m. to 04:00 p.m. in Regus Skyport Meeting Centre at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, the Netherlands, where professionals are kindly invited.

Whether you are representing a large multinational company, а dynamic SME (producing or operating industrial food freezing systems) or a famous academic and research centre, do not miss the unique chance to join the meeting and to become part of this exciting international initiative about to shape the future food refrigeration businesses on a European and worldwide scale. EHEDG members and non-members are all welcome at this stage.