The standards that govern sanitary equipment design across the U.S. dairy and food processing industry are being updated — and the manufacturers, plant engineers, and regulators who work with that equipment every day are the ones who should write them.

3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc. (3-A SSI) opened applications for five expert working groups launching May 11, 2026. The application deadline is April 27.

"We heard the industry clearly: experts want to contribute, but they need a defined finish line," says Meri Beth Wojtaszek, executive director of 3-A SSI. "Every project in this portfolio has a fixed scope, a dedicated coordinator to handle the 'paperwork,' and a 2026 publication target date. We are asking for your technical expertise, not your administrative time." 

To ensure standards that reflect manufacturing realities, facility operations, and regulatory requirements equally, 3-A SSI is recruiting voting members from three industry perspectives. Seats are limited — each working group requires a minimum of nine volunteers balanced across these groups:

•    Fabricators: To ensure technical language reflects manufacturing realities and innovation.

•    Users/Processors: To represent requirements for facility design, cleaning protocols, and vendor selection.

•    Regulatory Sanitarians: To provide  the field inspections and enforcement perspective.

This is a chance for equipment manufacturers, food processors, and regulators to directly influence how these standards affect their operations for the foreseeable future.

The 2026 Project Portfolio

Working groups will update four 3-A Sanitary Standards and one Accepted Practice in the 2026 project portfolio:

•    Silo-Type Tanks (22-08)

•    Non-Coil Type Batch Processors (25-03)

•    Disc-Type Valves (57-02)

•    Mechanical Conveyors for Dry Products: Standards (41-03)

•    Supplying Air Under Pressure (604-05)

Several working groups will resume from prior draft work, positioning the 2026 project portfolio to meet December publication targets.

Learn More and Apply 

On Friday, April 17, at 1:00 p.m. EST, 3-A SSI will host a free 30-minute virtual information session for prospective working group volunteers. The session, hosted by Wojtaszek, along with 3-A SSI Director of Standards and Certification, Eric Schweitzer, will outline project plans, meeting schedules, and the role of the working group coordinator, followed by an open Q&A.

Subject matter experts are encouraged to visit the working group portal to register for the information session, review specific time requirements and the technical scope for each working group and apply for specific working groups online.

Applications close April 27, 2026. Working groups launch May 11, 2026.