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3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc. (3-A SSI) has announced an inaugural class of eight HyGEN Excellence Award winners, celebrating the industry’s exemplary "under 40" rising stars in food safety and hygienic design.
The HyGEN Excellence Awards recognize the next generation of disruptors, visionaries, and problem-solvers who are advancing the "Gold Standard" of hygienic equipment design. The “Class of 2026" honorees are the first members of an elite global network of professionals who are rewriting the rulebook on how to make production lines safer, smarter, and more efficient.
“These winners are the new stewards of the ‘Gold Standard,’ proving that rigorous hygienic design principles are the key to innovation, not a barrier to it,” says 3-A SSI Chair John Kuhnz. “Their dedication ensures that our commitment to public health remains as vibrant and effective tomorrow as it is today.”
The 2026 HyGEN Excellence Awards winners are a cross-section of the industry, spanning academic research, regulatory compliance, and equipment engineering. Winners will be honored during a recognition ceremony at the 3-A SSI 2026 Summit on Hygienic Design, happening May 4 to 7 at the Marriott Chicago O'Hare.
The 2026 winners are:
“The HyGEN Excellence Awards remind us that, while the 3-A Sanitary Standards have a 100-year legacy, our approach to them must never stop moving,” says Meri Beth Wojtaszek, 3-A SSI Executive Director. “We aren't just checking boxes for individual achievement; we are recognizing young leaders who have the vision to keep our industry’s proven expertise and its future in perfect sync.”
The 2026 honorees were selected from a competitive pool of nominees working across all sectors of food safety. Each recipient was evaluated based on their commitment to advancing hygienic design, their leadership in implementing breakthrough solutions, and their role as mentors for the next generation of industry professionals.
3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc. (3-A SSI) is a nonprofit organization that develops and maintains standards for the design and fabrication of equipment and systems used to process food and beverage products in a sanitary manner. The mission of 3-A SSI is to enhance product safety for consumers around the world by developing standards and education materials that promote hygienic equipment design and practices. For more information, visit www.3-a.org.
