01
Real-world knowledge
Industry Expertise
Equipment knowledge helps ensure 3-A Standards and Accepted Practices reflect modern fabrication, operation, cleaning and inspection practices.
3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc.
Help influence the next revision
Help Shape the Next Generation of Hygienic Equipment Standards
3-A SSI is inviting industry experts to participate in five new Ad Hoc Working Groups supporting the review and revision of 3-A Standards and Accepted Practices covering insulated tanks, blending equipment, leak-protector valves, pasta filata cheese moulders, and HTST/HHST pasteurizer systems.
Applications are due
September 27, 2026
Collaborate | Improve | Make a Difference
Your expertise belongs in the room.
Real-world experience → stronger standards
Why participate?
Why Your Voice Matters
Bring real-world experience into the standards that guide hygienic equipment design and processing.
02
Build together
Technical Collaboration
Work alongside fabricators, processors, regulators and other subject-matter experts to review technical questions from multiple perspectives.
03
Make an impact
Industry Impact
Your input can help shape hygienic design requirements used throughout food and dairy processing.
Different perspectives. One goal.
Who Should Participate?
We welcome a diverse range of perspectives and technical experience.
F
Build it
Fabricators
Engineers, designers, equipment manufacturers, component suppliers and technical teams.
U
Use it
Users / Processors
Plant engineering, operations, QA, sanitation, food safety and processing professionals.
R
Evaluate it
Regulatory / Sanitarians
Regulators, inspectors, sanitarians, researchers and other technical or hygienic-design experts.
Supported from day one
The Onboarding Experience
Structured support from the start. No prior 3-A experience required.
1
Orientation
Understand the standards-development process, how Ad Hoc Working Groups operate and what your role involves.
2
Welcome
Receive the relevant project materials, access information and the resources you need to get started.
3
Kick-Off
Meet the Technical Lead, 3-A SSI Work Group Coordinator and other project participants.
4
Working Sessions
Review technical issues, share field experience, discuss proposed revisions and help the group build consensus.
5
Ongoing Support
3-A SSI provides guidance throughout the project so participants can focus on the technical work.
Find your project
Choose an Ad Hoc Working Group Project
Find the Standard or Accepted Practice that best matches your equipment experience and technical background.
Tanks
01-09
Insulated Tanks
Blending
35-04
Blending Equipment
Valves
56-00
Leak-Protector Plug-Type Valves
Cheese Processing
71-01
Pasta Filata Style Cheese Moulders
Pasteurization
603-07
HTST/HHST Pasteurizer Systems
01-09
Insulated Tanks
3-A Sanitary StandardAbout the Standard
3-A Sanitary Standard 01-09 establishes hygienic requirements for insulated tanks used for storage of product or solutions, including storage at a maintained temperature.
Scope
Covers insulated tanks installed horizontally, or vertically when the inside height is no greater than 10 ft. The tank begins and ends at the product or solution inlet/outlet and may include valves, spray devices, agitators, instrumentation, access ports and air vents.
What You'll Do
- Review the current 3-A Sanitary Standard and identify requirements that may need clarification or modernization.
- Bring current fabrication, cleaning, inspection and operating practices into the technical discussion.
- Consider new technologies, materials and relevant external standards that may affect insulated tank design.
- Help the group develop consensus language for the next revision.
Who We're Looking For
Fabricators
Tank and vessel manufacturers, fabricators, designers and component suppliers.
Users / Processors
Plant engineering, operations, QA, sanitation and food safety staff using insulated tanks.
Regulatory / Technical
Regulators, sanitarians, inspectors, researchers and hygienic-design specialists.
35-04
Blending Equipment
3-A Sanitary StandardAbout the Standard
3-A Sanitary Standard 35-04 establishes minimum hygienic requirements for blending equipment used to combine or mix wet or dry products.
Scope
Covers blending equipment from the entrance to the hopper or infeed pipe connection(s) through the exit pipe fitting, including the equipment in between.
What You'll Do
- Review the existing blending-equipment criteria and flag language that may no longer reflect current practice.
- Share experience with wet and dry blending, cleanability, materials, fabrication and equipment integration.
- Identify emerging technologies or relevant standards that should be considered in the revision.
- Work toward consensus on practical, technically sound updates.
Who We're Looking For
Fabricators
Mixer, blender, hopper, feeder and sanitary-equipment manufacturers or design engineers.
Users / Processors
Food and dairy processors using wet/dry blending systems, including operations, engineering, QA and sanitation.
Regulatory / Technical
Regulators, sanitarians, inspectors, researchers and hygienic-design experts.
56-00
Inlet and Outlet Leak-Protector Plug-Type Valves
3-A Sanitary StandardAbout the Standard
3-A Sanitary Standard 56-00 addresses inlet and outlet leak-protector plug-type valves used with milk and milk products.
Scope
Covers the sanitary aspects of inlet and outlet leak-protector plug valves for batch pasteurizers and the design, materials and fabrication criteria needed for conformance.
What You'll Do
- Review the existing valve requirements against current equipment designs and field practices.
- Bring expertise in leak protection, cleanability, valve geometry, materials, seals and maintenance.
- Identify unclear or outdated provisions and relevant technologies or standards for consideration.
- Help refine revision language and support technical consensus.
Who We're Looking For
Fabricators
Valve manufacturers, sanitary-component suppliers, mechanical designers and technical teams.
Users / Processors
Dairy/food processors operating batch pasteurizers or related sanitary valve systems.
Regulatory / Technical
Regulators, sanitarians, inspectors, pasteurization specialists and researchers.
71-01
Italian-Type Pasta Filata Style Cheese Moulders
3-A Sanitary StandardAbout the Standard
3-A Sanitary Standard 71-01 establishes hygienic criteria for Italian-type pasta filata style cheese moulders, including equipment used for mozzarella, string and provolone cheeses.
Scope
Covers equipment from the point where cooked and stretched cheese is introduced to the point where cheese is discharged. It may include receiving-transition units, salt application devices, reservoirs, integral moulds, extruder pieces and indirect cooling features.
What You'll Do
- Review current sanitary-design criteria against modern pasta filata cheese-forming equipment.
- Share practical experience with moulding, extrusion, product handling, cleanability and sanitation.
- Identify new equipment technologies, materials or related standards that should be reflected.
- Help build consensus on revisions that remain practical for industry and regulators.
Who We're Looking For
Fabricators
Cheese-equipment fabricators, moulding/extrusion system designers and component suppliers.
Users / Processors
Cheese processors, plant engineers, operations, QA, sanitation and food-safety teams.
Regulatory / Technical
Dairy regulators, sanitarians, inspectors, researchers and cheese-processing specialists.
603-07
HTST/HHST Pasteurizer Systems
3-A Accepted PracticeAbout the Accepted Practice
3-A Accepted Practice 603-07 establishes hygienic requirements for the construction, installation, testing and operation of High-Temperature Short-Time (HTST) and Higher-Heat Shorter-Time (HHST) pasteurizer systems.
Scope
Applies to HTST and HHST pasteurization equipment, appurtenances and controls used in complete pasteurization systems for milk and milk products. Systems may also include related processing steps when they do not interfere with required time, temperature, flow and pressure relationships.
What You'll Do
- Review 603-07 and identify where current industry practice has evolved since the existing edition.
- Bring input on emerging pasteurization technologies, controls, testing methods and relevant standards.
- Identify provisions that need clarification, modernization or stronger alignment with current field practice.
- Help the group develop technically sound consensus recommendations for the revision.
Who We're Looking For
Fabricators
Pasteurizer, heat-exchanger, valve, controls, instrumentation and sanitary-system manufacturers.
Users / Processors
Dairy processors, plant engineering, operations, QA, food safety and pasteurization specialists.
Regulatory / Technical
Regulatory control authorities, sanitarians, inspectors, researchers and pasteurization experts.
Industry perspective
Hear From Industry Participants
See how participation can expand professional connections and bring valuable perspectives into the standards community.
“3-A SSI’s working groups grow your connections with subject matter experts in the sanitary standards community across numerous industries and a range of participants from equipment manufacturers to regulatory and consumer product producers.”
Tara Schuelke · Hilmar Cheese Co.
Know your role
How a 3-A SSI Ad Hoc Working Group Works
Click any role to see a quick explanation.
See where your contribution goes
From Industry Input to Impact
A simple view of how participation moves from real-world expertise toward a revised 3-A Standard or Accepted Practice.
01
Industry Input
Experience enters the room02
Technical Discussion
Compare · challenge · refine03
Consensus
Build alignment04
Ballot
Formal review05
Revised 3-A Standard / Accepted Practice
Industry impactReady to contribute?
Your Experience Can Help Shape the Standard
Whether you design the equipment, operate it, inspect it or study it, your perspective can help ensure 3-A Standards and Accepted Practices continue to reflect real-world hygienic design and processing practices.
Role