FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 4, 2009
Contact: Timothy R. Rugh, CAEEmail: trugh@3-a.org
“This information is more valuable today than ever for inspection authorities, equipment fabricators and users,” according to 3-A SSI Executive Director Tim Rugh. “Concern about food safety extends to every part of the chain, including the sanitary design of processing equipment. The 3-A Symbol is a respected and reliable means to help assure everyone concerned that the equipment conforms to the appropriate 3-A Sanitary Standards,” he said.
The value of the 3-A Symbol in the marketplace was enhanced by the Third Party Verification (TPV) inspection requirement instituted in 2003 as a requirement for 3-A Symbol authorization. The TPV requirement moved 3-A Symbol authorization away from an era of self-certification. Between 2003 and the end of 2007, approximately 520 TPV inspections were completed for equipment fabricated in the U.S. and 22 other countries around the world, according to 3-A SSI. The inspections must be renewed every five years to maintain a 3-A Symbol authorization, whenever equipment nonconformance is found, or if there is a significant change in materials or manufacturing processes.
Since 1956, the 3-A Symbol has been used to identify equipment that meets 3-A Sanitary Standards for design and fabrication. Voluntary use of the 3-A Symbol on dairy and food equipment assures processors that equipment meets sanitary standards, provides accepted criteria to equipment manufacturers for sanitary design, and establishes guidelines for uniform evaluation and compliance by sanitarians.
3-A SSI maintains the list of current 3-A Symbol licensees and a separate list of discontinued 3-A Symbol holders. The lists of current and discontinued 3-A Symbol holders are available on the 3-A SSI web site at www.3-a.org/symbol/holders_list. The discontinued symbol holders list shows the reason for discontinuation, such as the equipment is no longer in production, the equipment was consolidated in another 3-A Symbol authorization resulting from a change in company ownership, or the failure of the holder to maintain the authorization in accordance with the terms and conditions for use of the 3-A Symbol.
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3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc. is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3)
organization whose mission is to enhance product safety
for consumers
of food, beverages, and pharmaceutical products through the development
and use of 3-A Sanitary Standards and 3-A Accepted Practices. Visit the
3-A SSI web site at www.3-a.org.