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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Washington, DC – January 22, 2026 –3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc. (3-A SSI) today announced that it has begun the annual process to vet, test, and certify new Certified Conformance Evaluators (CCEs).
"Every new CCE credential is a step forward for the food processing industry," says Meri Beth Wojtaszek, Executive Director of 3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc. "By expanding our roster of CCEs, we are keeping pace with growing demand for equipment bearing the 3-A Symbol and RP Mark."
3-A SSI will administer the proctored CCE exam May 4, 2026, from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. CDT at the Chicago Marriott O’Hare. The 3-A SSI 2026 Summit on Hygienic Design will begin the following day, May 5, running through May 7, at the same hotel.
CCEs are credentialed by 3-ASSI to perform Third Party Verification (TPV) inspections. They evaluate food and pharmaceutical processing equipment for conformance with relevant 3-A Sanitary Standards. Only equipment that has passed the 3-A SSI TPV may bear the 3-A Symbol or RP Mark for replacement parts. These marks are recognized as the gold standard for sanitary design in dairy and food processing and are codified in the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance.
Key responsibilities of CCEs include:
CCE candidates must be approved by 3-A SSI to sit for the exam. For consideration, candidates are required to submit a CCE exam application to 3-A SSI detailing their education, training, work history, and special skills.
The full set of qualifications is available in the online CCE Manual.
The completed application must be accompanied by:
In addition, there is a fee of $475, which includes the application review, exam, and first-year credential.
Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and candidates will be notified of their status as quickly as possible. For the May 4, 2026 exam, applications must be received by 3-A SSI no later than April 30,2026.
The CCE application is available online. Candidates are also encouraged to review the CCE Manual, which outlines policies and criteria. For additional information, contact Eric Schweitzer at (703) 790-0295, ext. 1 or erics@3-a.org.
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.
