Ivana Pejanovic

Hygienic design of food processing equipment is essential for maintaining food safety by minimizing contamination risks and ensuring that equipment can be cleaned and sanitized effectively. This comprehensive cross-industry review summarizes currently available standards and guidelines for the hygienic design of food processing equipment and discusses how their qualitative requirements can be translated into practical assessment tools, such as checklists or risk-based approaches to prioritize nonconformities. Differences between wet and low-moisture operations, as well as the particular challenges of packaging and end-of-line equipment, are summarized to illustrate that practical implementation of hygienic design principles must be adapted to sector-specific hazards, processing conditions and cleaning strategies. Outbreaks and product recalls linked to equipment that is difficult to clean or poorly designed are included to show how design limitations can contribute to persistent contamination and food safety incidents.

Cleaning and disinfection are essential hygiene measures in the food industry, aimed at ensuring food safety and preventing contamination of both the production environment and finished products. In the dairy industry, these measures are especially important in cheese production, as the physical and chemical properties of cheese can provide a favourable environment for the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. Among these, Listeria monocytogenes is particularly significant due to its ability to survive under adverse conditions, including low temperatures, a wide range of pH values, and high salt concentrations. Furthermore, its ability to form biofilms allows this pathogen to persist long-term in the production environment and increases its resistance to disinfectants. The paper highlights the importance of cleaning and disinfection as key measures to control L. monocytogenes in cheese production, with particular reference to sources and routes of contamination, survival in the production environment, biofilm formation, and the specificities of traditional cheese production. The results show that effective control of this pathogen requires an integrated approach, including properly conducted cleaning, appropriate disinfection, and continuous monitoring of hygiene in the production environment. Consistent application of these measures significantly reduces the risk of contamination and improves cheese safety.