Eric Schweitzer of 3-A SSI Tapped for FPSA Hygienic Design Initiative

3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc. (3-A SSI) continues to drive industry best practices, with Director of Standards and Certification, Eric Schweitzer, playing a key role in an ambitious new project led by the Food Processing Suppliers Association (FPSA).

Schweitzer recently participated in the FPSA webinar, "Practical Hygienic Design in Action: Introducing Our Project Wingman," confirming 3-A SSI's direct involvement in this collaborative effort to bridge the gap between hygienic design standards and real-world application. He was joined by Nghia Tran, Senior Director of Project Development with Ryan Companies, and Brian Shoop, Vice President, Process Engineering at Gray AES.

Project Wingman: A Practical Guide to Standards

The Project Wingman initiative is designed to create a comprehensive companion guide for existing hygienic design standards and checklists. The goal is to provide practical instruction, real-world examples, and installation specifics that current regulatory documents often lack.

During the webinar, Schweitzer emphasized that hygienic design is intrinsically linked to cleaning methodology (CIP/COP) and preventing cross-contamination — the core domain of 3-A SSI.

"We need that collaborative environment... We need to hear the installation difficulties, and the other stakeholder groups need to hear how it’s performed here and there and maybe we can improve it," Schweitzer said, advocating for shared experiential knowledge.

He highlighted the challenge that fabricators often don't know the end use of their equipment, making the need for clear installation guidelines and stakeholder dialogue critical.

Schweitzer also noted that 3-ASSI already requires suggested installation and cleaning procedures from manufacturers as part of its certification process, positioning the organization as a natural leader in this effort.

3-A SSI’s Unique Contribution

As the authority responsible for writing and verifying hygienic standards globally, 3-A SSI's involvement ensures that Project Wingman’s collaborative resource will be grounded in decades of technical expertise.

3-A SSI's unique contribution will help the initiative provide clear direction on:

• Materials and Surface Finishes: Clarifying specific standards (like RA specifications) often missing in general checklists.
• Balancing Cost and Design: Helping users understand the trade-offs between capital cost and long-term sanitation efficiency.
• Verification Tools: Leveraging the 3-A SSI certified equipment database to ensure manufacturers have reliable resources.

Schweitzer and the other panelists stressed that Project Wingman is an “evergreen” document that will continually evolve through industry feedback. This ensures the resource stays relevant, integrating new materials, case studies, and installation techniques as the industry advances.

Schweitzer’s participation reinforces 3-A SSI’s commitment to not just writing standards, but actively facilitating their successful, practical implementation across the food and beverage industry.

The webinar was presented as part of the FPSA observance of Food Safety Education Month.

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