News & Insights
VIDEO: Inside hygienic engineering
Why this matters now
Food and beverage manufacturers face rising expectations for product safety, allergen control, and traceability while running faster, more flexible lines. Hygienic engineering is no longer just a sanitation question. It shapes layouts, materials, equipment selection, and how cleaning fits into the production day. A single hygienic design misstep can drive recalls, regulatory action, and lasting brand damage.
What leaders are weighing
Plant leaders are weighing the cost of higher hygienic design standards against the cost of failure. They are deciding how aggressively to push toward open, cleanable designs, how to handle allergen segregation, and how to balance flexibility with the discipline that hygienic operations require. There are tradeoffs around equipment selection, drainage, finishes, and the way utilities are routed. Quality and food safety teams want defensible practices. Operations teams want layouts that support throughput. The right design respects both.
How Salas O’Brien is helping clients respond
Our food and beverage team helps clients design facilities and processes where hygienic principles are part of the engineering, not an overlay. We bring process, mechanical, and architectural expertise together with deep familiarity with regulatory expectations and audit realities. We help leaders make decisions that protect product safety and brand reputation while supporting the way the plant actually operates. Hear Dennis McCullough and Daniel Strohminger walk through what hygienic engineering looks like up close.
Dennis McCullough, MS, CPP
Dennis McCullough is a highly respected leader in hygienic design with over 45 years of experience providing expert guidance to clients in a range of industries. From consumer products to food and beverage, pet care, cosmetics, and protein companies, Dennis has helped clients to develop innovative solutions for their manufacturing and processing facilities. He currently serves as a Senior Vice President at Salas O’Brien. Contact him at [email protected]
Daniel Strohminger, PE
Daniel Strohminger is a seasoned expert in hygienic design, chemical process, and process engineering. With a portfolio that includes well-known producers of foods and beverages, infant products, and pet care, he brings extensive knowledge, experience, and practical solutions to his work. He serves as a Vice President at Salas O’Brien. Contact him at [email protected].