EHEDG World Congress 2024 / Interview with Jean-Luc Louis

During the EHEDG World Congress 2024 in Nantes, Jean-Luc Louis reflected on the significant developments in hygienic design within the food industry. Here are his thoughts on the two days of the conference.

Jean-Luc Louis: The key takeaway is the importance of reducing water usage in cleaning processes, particularly in the powder sector, which we are very familiar with. EHEDG guidelines aim to minimize bacterial growth risks through equipment design, making cleaning easier and draining more efficient. This reduces not only microbial risks but also energy consumption related to water usage. Hygienic design also needs to take into account the accessibility of risk zones for cleaning and maintenance to make these regular interventions easier.

Jean-Luc Louis: Another critical point is the limitation of retention areas, which are often contamination hotspots. For instance, when designing machines, it is essential to select materials that meet food safety requirements. The EHEDG issues several guidelines to help guide manufacturers in this process, with GL 08 being the most important, as it summarizes the principles of hygienic design. But we must not overlook others, such as GL 18 on stainless steel surface treatment, GL 44 on hygienic design for food factories, and GL 58, which focuses on managing hygienic risks in equipment.

Jean-Luc Louis: These guidelines are essential to our designs. They enable us to create solutions that comply with the strictest standards in the food industry. We closely adhere to these principles when manufacturing our equipment. For example, the conveyors we develop are designed to facilitate cleaning and prevent retention areas. One aspect we particularly focus on is open design, which greatly enhances access for cleaning and maintenance, providing significant benefits to our clients.

Jean-Luc Louis: Absolutely. EHEDG promotes what is called the "hygienic design trilogy," which consists of three elements: zoning, cleaning methods, and product contact. Hygienic zoning divides production areas into high, medium, and low hygiene zones, depending on the acceptable level of contamination. Next, cleaning methods must be adapted to the type of product and process, whether it’s dry cleaning, controlled humidity, or wet phase cleaning. Finally, product contact is crucial: every piece of equipment that comes into contact with food must meet strict design criteria to minimize contamination risks.

Jean-Luc Louis: We integrate these principles into every aspect of our equipment design. Take, for example, a plant in Turkey, which was presented during the conference. This plant was built according to EHEDG standards, significantly reducing water consumption and energy costs. Sure, the initial cost was higher, with about a 30% increase in the budget, but over time, the savings were substantial. At Palamatic Process, we strive to adopt this kind of sustainable approach for all our projects, whether it’s powder transport systems or complete production lines.

Jean-Luc Louis: One interesting innovation involved simplifying equipment design. A conference speaker emphasized the importance of having "simple and beautiful" machines because, as they said, the simpler the equipment, the easier it is to maintain, and the more care operators will take of it. This aesthetic and practical approach is something we also try to incorporate into our designs at Palamatic. We also discussed the overall management of food factories, not just individual equipment. This includes designing entire buildings to minimize environmental impacts while meeting the strictest hygiene standards.

Jean-Luc Louis: I believe the future of the food industry lies in sustainable hygienic design. Reducing water consumption, improving cleaning processes while ensuring food safety – these are goals we all need to aim for. Optimizing cleaning cycles, for example, not only helps meet environmental standards but also improves production line productivity. At Palamatic, we will continue to innovate in this area to provide our clients with effective, sustainable solutions that meet the highest standards.

This interview with Jean-Luc Louis illustrates the extent to which the principles discussed at the EHEDG World Congress 2024 are influencing equipment design practices in the food industry. As a key player in this sector, Palamatic Process rigorously applies these standards to offer solutions that are both innovative and sustainable, meeting the contemporary challenges of food safety and respect for the environment.