Many of today’s food processors are adopting hygienic design principles to ease cleaning and reduce the potential for pathogen contamination. However, it can be overwhelming to identify hard-to-clean niches and potential bacteria harborage areas. In addition to food safety standards, there are worker safety and regulatory issues to consider—not to mention the costs.

Whether building a new facility or working with an existing plant, here are seven steps to form and manage an effective hygienic design team: