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download articleEssential health and safety requirements for certain categories of machinery
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 | Agri-foodstuffs machinery | |
| Instructions |
Agri-foodstuffs machinery
Where machinery is intended to prepare and process foodstuffs, (e.g. cooking, refrigeration, thawing, washing, handling, packaging, storage, transport or distribution), it must be so designed and constructed as to avoid any risk of infection, sickness or contagion, and the following hygiene rules must be observed:- Materials in contact, or intended to come into contact, with the foodstuffs must satisfy the conditions set down in the relevant Directives. The machinery must be so designed and constructed that these materials can be cleaned before each use;
- All surfaces including their joining must be smooth, and must have neither ridges nor crevices which could harbour organic materials;
- assemblies must be designed in such a way as to reduce projections, edges and recesses to a minimum. They should preferably be made by welding or continuous bonding. Screws, screw heads and rivets may not be used except where technically unavoidable;
- all surfaces in contact with the foodstuffs must be easily cleaned and disinfected, where possible after removing easily dismantled parts. The inside surfaces must have curves of a radius sufficient to allow thorough cleaning;
- liquid deriving from foodstuffs as well as cleaning, disinfecting and rinsing fluids should be able to be discharged from the machine without impediment (possibly in a 'clean' position);
- machinery must be so designed and constructed as to prevent any liquids or living creatures, in particular insects, entering, or any organic matter accumulating in areas that cannot be cleaned (e.g. for machinery not mounted on feet or castors, by placing a seal between the machinery and its base, by the use of sealed units, etc.);
- machinery must be so designed and constructed that no ancillary substances (e.g. lubricants, etc.) can come into contact with foodstuffs. Where necessary, machinery must be designed and constructed so that continuing compliance with this requirement can be checked.
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