Buyer Beware: False or Misleading Claims

Updated August 10, 2018

Today literally hundreds of marketers offer food processing equipment on-line or through B2B web sites, and many advertisements state claims such as ‘meets 3A’, ‘conforms to 3A standards’, or the equipment may even include ‘3A’ in a model name or designation. Such references suggest the equipment meets the criteria for 3-A Symbol authorization. Unless the supplier is an authorized 3-A Symbol holder, the buyer is solely responsible for verifying whether the equipment meets the desired (and expected) sanitary design and fabrication criteria.

3-A SSI provides this list as a service to identify any entities known to make false or misleading claims of 3-A Symbol authorization.

Trust, But Verify!

3-A SSI encourages those searching for food processing equipment that meets stringent criteria for sanitary design and fabrication to verify the equipment maintains authorization to display the 3-A Symbol. You can search the current list of authorized 3-A Symbol holders (by company name, equipment type, or authorization number) at 3-A website. 

Probationary List

3-A SSI is required to place 3-A Symbol Authorization Holders into a Probationary List on the 3-A SSI website following a substantiated RAN per Third Party Verification Manual Section F4.10.1. The 3-A Symbol Holder will remain in the category ‘Probationary’ until the plan for corrective action is completed.