HBM is a member of EHEDG

As a member of the European Hygienic Engineering and Design Group (EHEDG), HBM is committed to preventing food hygiene problems to minimize safety risks for consumers.

We supply customers in plant engineering, process control, and food manufacturing with high-quality sensors and measurement technology designed in line with hygienic principles to make sure that they can serve their customers in the best and safest way possible.

Who are EHEDG?

The European Hygienic Engineering and Design Group is a consortium of individuals, businesses, and institutions devoted to the promotion of safe food by improving hygiene at all stages of the food manufacturing process.

The non-profit organization was founded in 1989 and has more than 1,300 members from 55+ countries. These range from equipment or component manufacturers such as HBM, to food producers, food industry suppliers, research institutes and universities, public authorities and government bodies.

What does EHEDG do?

The European Hygienic Engineering and Design Group connects industry, research, and legislation with the common goal of ensuring the quality and safety of foodstuffs.

Dedicated workgroups interpret EU directives on hygiene for food processing machinery, such as EN 1672-2 and EN ISO 14159 or the EC Directive 2006/42/EC, into guidelines for equipment manufacturers and users. To prevent contamination during food production and packaging processes, each component must be ‘hygienically designed‘, as well as installed and used correctly. Therefore, the published guidelines provide information on the design, installation, operation, maintenance, and cleaning of production plants.

EHEDG test procedures and certificates ensure compliance with EU legislation, so that businesses purchasing and using EHEDG-certified products or machine components are guaranteed conformity with legal requirements.

Knowledge exchange is also encouraged during training courses and member congresses.

EHEDG guidelines

EHEDG publishes guidelines on all aspects of plant design and use. Special emphasis is placed on optimized cleanability and easy maintenance. Here are some basic principles:

Use physiologically harmless, food-compatible materials
Use materials with the highest possible corrosion resistance
Surfaces and surface structures should be smooth
Avoid pores, cracks, gaps, and defects of any kind on surfaces and joints
Minimize or optimize avoidable visible gaps, indentations or protrusions
Component design should be flow-optimized and geometric avoiding, where possible, eddy formation through delamination and dead-water zones
Systems should be designed so that they are easy to maintain and easy to access
Cleaning should be possible without dismantling the system, cleaning-in-place (CIP)

What does membership mean for HBM?

As a member of EHEDG, HBM follows the guidelines and implements the corresponding principles in the development and design of load cells. Load cells form the heart of a weighing device, and hygienic design is, therefore, essential – especially for compliance with the high hygiene standards in the food and pharmaceutical industries.