The Hygienic Equipment Design Group Guidelines describe the criteria for the hygienic design of equipment intended for the processing of foods. Their fundamental objective is the prevention of the microbial contamination of food products. They are intended to apprise qualified engineers who are designing equipment for food processing with the additional demands of hygienic engineering in order to ensure the microbiological safety of the end product. Upgrading an existing design to meet hygiene requirements can be prohibitively expensive and may be unsuccessful and so these are most effectively incorporated into the initial design stage. The long term benefits of doing so are not only product safety but also the potential to increase life expectancy of equipment, reduce maintenance and consequently lower operating costs. These documents were first published in 1993 with the intention to describe in more detail the hygienic requirements of the Machinery Directive (98/37/EC ref.1). Parts of them were subsequently incorporated in the standards EN1672-2 and EN ISO 14159.The US-based organizations NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) and 3-A SSI (3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc.) have agreed to co-operate in the development of EHEDG Guidelines and in turn, EHEDG co-operates in the development of 3-A and NSF standards.EHEDG may authorize the use of the EHEDG Certification logo for equipment complying with Document 8 - Hygienic Equipment Design Criteria. Certification may involve cleanability testing of equipment according to the methodology described in Document 2 - A Method for Assessing the In-Place Cleanability of Food Processing Equipment. EHEDG has authorized several organizations to certify the use of EHEDG compliance logo. Testing and certification are independent activities and may be done by different organizations.The current titles of the EHEDG Guidelines are:1. Microbiologically safe continuous pasteurization of liquid foods.2. A method for assessing the in-place cleanability of food processing equipment, SG Test Methods.3. Microbiologically safe aseptic packing of food products.4.A method for the assessment of in-line pasteurization of food processing equipment, SG Test Methods.5.A method for the assessment of in-line sterilisability of food processing equipment, SG Test Methods.6.The microbiologically safe continuous flow thermal sterilization of liquid foods.7.A method for the assessment of bacteria tightness of food processing equipment, SG Test Methods.8.Hygienic equipment design criteria.9.Welding stainless steel to meet hygienic requirements.10.Hygienic design of closed equipment for the processing of liquid food.11.Hygienic packing of food products.12.The continuous or semi-continuous flow thermal treatment of particulate foods.13.Hygienic design of equipment for open processing.14.Hygienic requirements on valves for food processing.15.A method for the assessment of in-place cleanability of moderately-sized food processing equipment, SG Test Methods.16.Hygienic pipe couplings.17.Hygienic design of pumps, homogenizers and dampening devices SG Pumps.18.Passivation of stainless steel.19.A method for assessing the bacterial retention ability of hydrophobic membrane filters, SG Test Methods.20.Hygienic design and safe use of double-seat mixproof valves, SG Valves.21.Challenge tests for the evaluation of the hygienic characteristics of packing machines for liquid and semi-liquid products, SG Packing Machines.22.General hygienic design criteria for the safe processing of dry particulate materials, SG Dry Materials Handling.23.Production and use of food-grade lubricants, SG Lubricants.24.Prevention and control of Legionella spp. (including legionnaires disease) in food factories, SG Process Water.25.Design of mechanical seals for hygienic and aseptic applications, SG Mechanical Seals.26.Hygienic engineering of plants for the processing of dry particulate materials, SG Dry Materials Handling.27.Safe storage and distribution of water in factories.28.Safe and hygienic water treatment in food factories.29.Hygienic design of packing systems for solid foodstuffs.30.Guidelines on our handling in the food industry.31.Hygienic engineering of fluid bed and spray dryer plants.32.Materials of construction for equipment in contact with food.33.Hygienic engineering of discharging systems for dry particulate material.34.Integration of hygienic and aseptic systems.35.Hygienic welding of stainless steel tubing in the food processing industry (27 pages), ISBN 978-0-907503-26-8.