Certification Helps You Understand Your Equipment

The Internal Equipment Evaluator (IEE) course isn’t just for manufacturers—it’s a tool for better decision-making across your entire team.

Why This Matters Across Teams

Equipment decisions are rarely made by one department. Procurement, engineering, operations, and food safety teams all bring different priorities—and without alignment, those priorities can create friction.

Understanding ANSI/ASB Z50.2 sanitation standards gives teams a shared framework to evaluate equipment more effectively.

• Procurement: Better evaluate long-term value, not just upfront cost
• Operations: Identify equipment that supports efficiency and uptime
• Food Safety: Assess risk with greater confidence
• Engineering: Align design with real-world performance needs

Better Understanding Leads to Better Decisions

When teams understand how equipment is designed—and how it should perform—they make stronger decisions at every stage, from specification to purchase to daily operation.

This reduces internal friction and ensures that equipment investments support long-term performance.

The Role of the IEE Course

The Internal Equipment Evaluator (IEE) course provides structured training on how to evaluate equipment against ANSI/ASB Z50.2 standards.

It is not just for manufacturers—it is designed for any professional involved in equipment decisions across commercial bakeries.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is hosting a virtual public meeting on food allergen thresholds and their potential applications in the United States on February 18, 2026, followed by listening sessions on February 19–20, 2026. This is a practical signal for the baking industry: allergen risk management is moving toward more risk-based, data-driven approaches, and organizations will increasingly be expected to explain how their processes and controls protect customers.

What the FDA is doing and why it matters

FDA describes this meeting as an opportunity to discuss strategies for approaching food allergen thresholds to benefit public health. FDA also reiterates that allergic reactions can be serious and that avoidance depends on clear labeling and minimizing unintended allergen presence, including from cross-contact.

Why baking is directly affected

Baking environments are inherently complex from an allergen standpoint. Wheat is foundational, and many product lines introduce additional allergens such as milk, egg, soy, tree nuts, peanuts, and sesame. That reality means frequent changeovers, powder and particulate movement, and tight production schedules that put pressure on cleaning windows and verification routines.

Where equipment fits into customer protection

Allergen control succeeds or fails in the details of how equipment is designed, accessed, cleaned, and verified. Equipment that supports hygienic design principles can reduce the likelihood of residue retention and hard-to-clean areas that compromise changeovers.

• Accessible, inspectable design to support consistent cleaning outcomes
• Reduced niches and difficult seams that can retain allergen residues
• Materials and finishes suited for food contact environments and sanitation methods
• Design that supports verification points and repeatable procedures across shifts

How BEAG-certified equipment supports risk-based allergen control

BEAG certification is built around bakery-relevant hygienic design expectations aligned to industry standards. For both bakers and equipment manufacturers, certification helps move the conversation from marketing claims to objective, standards-based evidence that equipment design supports effective sanitation and risk management.

Action checklist: what to do now

1. If you manufacture equipment: audit designs for cleanability, access, and verification support, and strengthen how you document hygienic design expectations for buyers.
   Ready to put credible proof behind your claims?

   Consider pursuing BEAG certification to demonstrate that your equipment meets bakery-relevant hygienic design expectations and supports repeatable sanitation outcomes that help protect customers.

   Start the BEAG Certification Conversation Learn More
2. If you operate a bakery: review allergen changeover risk points and align procurement specs with hygienic design expectations that support repeatable sanitation. Purchase equipment certified to the ANSI/ASB Z50.2 baking standard. 

Equipment Manufacturers

Is your equipment built for today’s standards? NSF vs BEAG: How Bakery Equipment Buyers Evaluate Sanitary Design Sanitary design expectations are rising across the baking industry. Buyers want proof that equipment will support food safety programs, pass audits, and perform reliably over time. NSF marks and BEAG certification both appear in this conversation, but they are not interchangeable. Bakers and OEMs need to understand how each is used and where BEAG provides bakery specific clarity through the ANSI/ASB Z50 standards.

Where NSF is strong and where it is generic

NSF marks are widely recognized across the food industry. Purchasing teams, auditors, and regulators often see them as a baseline indicator that equipment has been evaluated against general sanitary design principles. For many types of food processing, that broad recognition is a real strength.

In bakery operations, however, buyers work with equipment that presents a unique mix of open product, dry ingredients, allergens, and continuous production lines. They need to know that an assessment has considered the specific conditions and risks that appear in a bakery rather than in a general food environment.

NSF remains an important part of the sanitary design landscape. At the same time, many bakeries and integrators now ask suppliers to demonstrate conformance to the bakery industry standard ANSI/ASB Z50. This is the point where BEAG becomes essential.

Cost considerations: NSF projects and BEAG certification

Cost is another practical difference between NSF and BEAG. NSF projects are custom quoted and can involve application fees, testing fees, inspection costs, and ongoing listing or registration fees. For industrial food equipment, the total investment often lands in the mid to high thousands of dollars per product line and can be higher for complex systems.

BEAG structures pricing differently. For bakery equipment, BEAG publishes its fees and keeps the focus on bakery specific Z50 conformance:

Every project is different, but the pattern is clear. For bakery equipment, BEAG offers a focused Z50 conformance program with transparent fee structures, while NSF projects are broader in scope and often carry higher, less predictable costs.

Why bakery specific Z50 criteria matter

ANSI/ASB Z50 standards were written by bakers, equipment manufacturers, and industry experts to address the realities of bakery production. They consider how equipment will operate, be cleaned, and be maintained in a bakery environment over many years.

BEAG certification evaluates bakery equipment against these Z50 criteria. The process is designed to be transparent for both OEMs and bakers. Manufacturers receive clear feedback on where designs align with the standard and where improvements are needed. Bakers receive an independent statement that the equipment has been reviewed specifically for bakery applications.

For companies that lack time or resources for internal conformance assessment, BEAG acts as a third party verification tool. Instead of building a Z50 review program from scratch, they can rely on an established process that speaks the same language as auditors, customers, and suppliers.

How buyers use BEAG marks in vendor selection

When bakeries and integrators write specifications today, many call out ANSI/ASB Z50 and BEAG by name. They want to remove uncertainty in vendor selection and make it easier to compare proposals. A BEAG mark provides a clear signal that the equipment has been evaluated against the bakery standard that appears in their documents.

For OEMs, this shift changes the conversation. Instead of debating whether a design is sanitary enough, they can show that the equipment has passed an independent review against the bakery industry standard. For buyers, it reduces the time spent deciphering claims and lets them give preference to suppliers who can demonstrate Z50 conformance in a consistent way.

The baking industry has changed dramatically in the last decade. Lines are faster, recipes are cleaner, and expectations for food safety and employee protection are higher than ever. Yet many bakeries are still running equipment that was designed for a different era, and some manufacturers are still relying on legacy design practices that do not reflect current sanitation expectations.

Why Today’s Standards Are Different

Food safety is now a boardroom issue. A single contamination event can ripple through a brand’s reputation, disrupt production, and draw regulatory attention. At the same time, bakers are under pressure to reduce downtime, improve labor efficiency, and protect their workforce.

Sanitary design has moved from “nice to have” to “non negotiable.” That shift is reflected in the ANSI/ASB Z50 series of standards, which cover safety (Z50.1) and sanitation (Z50.2) for commercial bakery equipment. These standards are developed and maintained through a consensus based technical committee that includes bakers, equipment manufacturers, sanitation experts, and engineers.

In other words, Z50.2 is not an abstract rule book. It is the combined voice of the baking industry on what “good” looks like for equipment sanitation.

What ANSI/ASB Z50.2 Expects from Modern Equipment

Z50.2 focuses on hygienic design that supports effective cleaning, reduces harborage points, and protects both workers and products. While the details are technical, the expectations can be summarized in a few practical questions:

• Can surfaces be cleaned quickly and completely, without disassembly that is impractical in a production environment?
• Are welds, joints, and fasteners designed to eliminate niches where product, moisture, or cleaning chemicals can collect?
• Does the design support proper drainage and avoid flat surfaces where water or product can pool?
• Are guards, covers, and enclosures designed so sanitation teams can access the areas behind them?

When equipment design aligns with these expectations, bakers gain measurable benefits: shorter cleaning cycles, less labor, fewer unplanned outages, and lower risk of contamination or recalls.

Legacy Design in a Modern Bakery

Many pieces of legacy equipment were built long before today’s sanitation expectations. Common issues include:

• Hollow framework that is not sealed, allowing moisture and product to enter and remain trapped
• Overlapping or “sandwich” joints that are difficult or impossible to clean
• Hidden belts, rollers, and supports that require extensive teardown to access
• Control boxes, cables, and mounting hardware that create unnecessary harborage points

In real bakeries, these design choices translate into long sanitation shifts, workarounds, and risk. A mixer that requires an extra two hours of cleaning after every run is not just inconvenient. It is lost production, additional labor cost, and a constant exposure to contamination if any step is missed.

When manufacturers carry older design practices into new models, they risk putting new paint on old problems. The equipment may look modern on a trade show floor yet still fall short of what Z50.2 considers acceptable hygienic design.

BEAG’s Role in Turning Standards into Proof

The Bakery Equipment Assessment Group (BEAG) complements the ANSI/ASB Z50 standards by independently certifying equipment conformance to ANSI/ASB Z50.2.

For manufacturers, BEAG certification:

• Demonstrates that equipment has been evaluated against the industry’s recognized sanitation standard
• Differentiates products in competitive bids with a mark of sanitation excellence
• Builds confidence with bakers who want to reduce downtime, improve sanitation, and safeguard their workforce
• Supports alignment with regulatory expectations related to food safety and safe operations

For bakers, seeing the BEAG mark signals that the equipment has been designed and evaluated with modern standards in mind, not just legacy assumptions.

Real World Design Questions for Today’s Manufacturers

If you are designing or updating equipment, Z50.2 can be used as a practical checklist rather than a theoretical document. Consider questions such as:

• Would a sanitation team be able to clean this machine thoroughly within the time window our customers have between shifts?
• Are there any fasteners, supports, or brackets that create unnecessary crevices or shadow areas for cleaning?
• Is every food contact and non food contact surface constructed from appropriate materials that resist corrosion and are compatible with cleaning chemicals?
• Is access to key components intuitive, or does it require tools and partial disassembly that operators are unlikely to perform consistently?
• If this piece of equipment were installed in a high volume bakery, would its design reduce or add to total downtime and labor cost?

These questions align directly with how bakers evaluate new equipment in their own plants. When the answers are positive, manufacturers not only meet the expectations of Z50.2, they also deliver tangible business value to their customers.

Pathways to Certification

Manufacturers have more than one way to align with Z50.2 through BEAG. Some choose to train internal staff to evaluate equipment against the standard and certify designs, while others rely on BEAG experts for independent third party conformance evaluation and formal recognition.

Both approaches move beyond internal claims of “sanitary design” and provide verifiable proof that equipment is built for today’s expectations.

In the world of commercial baking, consistency, safety, and trust are essential. The ANSI Z50 Standards serve as a critical foundation for bakery equipment manufacturers and operators by establishing clear expectations for equipment design, performance, and sanitation.

Operational Benefits for Commercial Bakeries

The Z50 Standards are developed to ensure that commercial baking equipment supports hygienic and safe food production environments. By adopting these voluntary, consensus-based standards, bakeries streamline equipment selection and installation, reducing variability in sanitation and safety protocols across facilities.

Hygienically designed machinery certified to Z50.2 cuts cleaning time and labor costs, boosts production uptime, and helps bakeries meet stringent regulatory demands under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) programs.

Equipment aligned with Z50.1 and Z50.2 fosters operational excellence by minimizing scheduled and unexpected downtime, extending operations between full clean downs, and enhancing throughput without extra headcount or overtime pay.

Hygienic design is the foundation of a successful and sustainable food safety program, product integrity, and product quality. Without this foundation and investment, operating costs can be higher than they should be and the company’s brand name and image in the eyes of the consumer are at risk.

Enhancing Workplace Safety and Efficiency

Z50.1’s safety provisions—such as instruction for machine guarding, lockout/tagout procedures, and bakery equipment-specific safety guidance—significantly lower the risk of workplace injuries, fostering a safer environment for operators, maintenance, and sanitation staff. Keeping employees safe should be a top priority. Effective safety programs and safe work environments foster a strong workforce culture, improving all aspects of the business, including morale and employee retention.

Hygienic design under Z50.2 makes disassembly and reassembly faster and less physically taxing, reducing potential strain and sprain injuries while increasing job satisfaction and retention among sanitation crews who otherwise face grueling manual deep-cleans.

Safeguarding Product Quality and Sanitation

Equipment conforming to Z50.2 dramatically reduces harborage points for bacteria, yeasts, molds, and allergens, curbing contamination risks that lead to spoilage, foodborne illness, or life-threatening allergic reactions.

By ensuring thorough cleanability and material compatibility with sanitizers, these standards help extend product shelf life, safeguard brand reputation, and minimize costly recalls—providing verifiable proof of due diligence should a safety incident occur. Conformance with hygienic design standards drives efficiency: less downtime, lower cleaning labor, and better throughput under FSMA and GFSI scrutiny.

Incorporating Robotics Safely: Updates to the Z50.1 Standard

Before the recent revisions to the ANSI/ASB Z50.1 Bakery Equipment – Safety Requirements standard, there was no guidance on how to safely integrate robotic systems into bakeries. The updated standard now provides effective direction on managing robotic automation in baking operations.

For example, the revised Z50.1 standard calls for comprehensive risk assessments before deploying robots, installation of physical barriers or light curtains for guarding, and the implementation of a rigorous lockout/tagout program to protect operators, sanitation, and maintenance staff.

Why It Matters Now More Than Ever

The demands on commercial bakeries continue to grow, from regulatory expectations to consumer trust. The ANSI Z50 Standards provide a reliable framework for meeting those demands. By aligning with these standards, companies demonstrate a commitment to food safety, employee well-being, and operational excellence. As technology advances and production methods shift, Z50 remains a vital reference point for responsible and effective baking operations.

Learn more about how the ANSI Z50 Standards can benefit your operations and protect your brand. 

What Are the ANSI Z50 Standards?

In the world of commercial baking, safety, sanitation, and performance are not just ideals, they’re requirements. That’s where the ANSI Z50 Standards come in.

What Are the ANSI Z50 Standards?

The ANSI Z50 Standards are the recognized benchmark for the design, construction, and sanitation of commercial baking equipment in the United States. These standards help ensure that equipment used in industrial and commercial bakeries is safe, durable, and capable of producing baked goods efficiently and hygienically.

Who Is ANSI?

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a nonprofit organization that oversees the development and use of voluntary consensus standards across a broad range of industries. ANSI doesn’t write standards itself—it accredits organizations, like the American Society of Baking (ASB), that are experts in specific industries (like baking).

When a standard is “ANSI-approved,” it means it was developed through a transparent, consensus-based process involving industry stakeholders. This ensures that the processes used meet rigorous criteria for openness, balance, and due process.

Why Z50 Matters for the Baking Industry

As the baking industry’s recognized certification body for commercial bakery equipment, BEAG advances the ANSI Z50 Standards, which are maintained by ASB, to reflect evolving best practices, technological innovations, and regulatory expectations.

By following Z50 guidance, equipment manufacturers demonstrate a commitment to safety, sanitation, and performance. For bakery operators, using equipment that meets Z50 Standards provides confidence that their production lines are built on a solid, compliant foundation.

ANSI/ASB Z50 Standards:

ANSI/ASB Z50.1 Bakery Equipment – Safety Requirements

This standard establishes mandatory safety requirements for the design, construction, and use of machinery in bakeries. Its goal is to protect operators and maintenance personnel while preserving efficient and reliable equipment performance.

It applies to the design, construction, installation, safe operation, and maintenance of all bakery machinery and equipment. It serves as a voluntary reference for manufacturers, users, and regulatory bodies, offering guidance on achieving “reasonable safety” in bakery operations.

ANSI/ASB Z50.2 Bakery Equipment – Sanitation Requirements

This standard defines the sanitation requirements for commercial bakery equipment. It focuses on hygienic design and construction to prevent product contamination and ensure food safety throughout bakery processes.

It covers the design, materials, fabrication, and cleaning of bakery equipment. It provides both general principles applicable to all machinery and specific criteria for equipment types (e.g., dough troughs, proofers, ovens) to facilitate thorough cleaning and microbial control.

Quick Reference Summary

Continuous Improvement and Industry Collaboration

BEAG and ASB work closely with bakers, equipment manufacturers, and regulators to keep the Z50 Standards current and relevant. This collaborative approach ensures that the standards not only meet today’s demands but are also forward-looking, supporting the future of baking through consistency, innovation, and shared expertise.

The Takeaway

Whether you’re designing a new line of baking equipment or evaluating machinery for your facility, the ANSI Z50 Standards provide a trusted framework. They are more than just technical guidelines—they are the industry’s commitment to quality, food safety, and operational excellence.

The new course offers a structured yet flexible learning experience featuring four modules delivered online, access to the Z50.2 Standard PDF, and over six hours of interactive educational content. The program is designed for on-demand learning, allowing participants to progress at their own pace. Upon completion of the modules, participants will have access to the final exam, and those who pass will receive the “Certified Internal Equipment Evaluator” certificate.

This certification, due for official launch September 2024, educates individuals on how to apply the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z50.2 standard of hygienic equipment design; understand the history of food safety and Good Manufacturing Practices; and recognize the importance of hygienic design and safe food production.

Certified Internal Equipment Evaluators will have the authority to certify their company’s equipment through BEAG’s Recognition of Conformity, ensuring compliance with rigorous and relevant sanitation standards. This not only minimizes risks to consumers but also solidifies their commitment to quality. Jeremiah Tilghman, Chair of the BEAG Board of Directors said“This platform provides a cost effective, interactive training tool to help ensure food safety for our suppliers, bakers, and most importantly the millions of people this industry feeds.  Equipment suppliers now have a way to become certified via an online program.”

Jon Anderson, BEAG’s Managing Consultant and industry veteran, commented, “This certification empowers professionals to ensure their equipment not only meets but exceeds industry standards, reinforcing their dedication to quality and food safety.”

Hygienic equipment design is fundamental for food safety and quality in the baking and low moisture foods industries. Without sound equipment design, production costs, labor and potential food safety failures will become a drain on the business. Down time spent during cleaning and product changeover is reduced, providing more time for production. Efficient hygienic design means less labor, less waste, more productivity, and the assurance of product integrity and quality. Production equipment that conforms to the rigorous ANSI Z50.2 standard is the foundation for effective, efficient and successful business operations. The BEAG equipment certification process assures the end user that equipment has been built to a rigorous hygienic design standard and establishes a level of confidence and trust that their equipment will provide them with many advantages.

“Hygienic design is an investment in the business and shouldn’t be considered an expense, but we recognized getting someone certified to understand the Z50.2 standard previously required time and travel,” noted Kristen L. Spriggs, ASB Executive Director. “We took a two-day, in-person course and through online learning techniques condensed the learning experience to a few hours with enhanced interactive tools. Our mission is to deliver valuable education to the industry’s workforce as efficiently and effectively as possible. Keeping bakeries safe and efficient is paramount to both BEAG and ASB.”

For more information visit https://beagroup.org/page/CIEECertificationCourse

If you are interested in completing the course as part of the pressure testing process, contact Sarah Day sday@asbe.org.

To learn more about BEAG, email Jon Anderson info@beagroup.org. 

About the Bakery Equipment Assessment Group
BEAG is a not-for-profit group that works with bakery equipment manufacturers to assess equipment to determine conformance with the latest American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard for the hygienic design of bakery equipment.

Our mission is to be ceaselessly committed to enhancing clean and efficient equipment design for the baking industry and provide leadership for the bakery equipment manufacturers. Our goal is to have the baking industry and bakery equipment manufacturers adopt the most comprehensive, relevant, and effective standards for the health and well-being of their businesses, customers and the consumer.

About the American Society of Baking
The American Society of Baking (ASB) is a community of 2,600+ individuals who have joined together to advance food manufacturing practices within the baked goods sector. Our network of bakers, engineers, service providers, food technologists and equipment/ingredient suppliers has stood the test of time for more than a century – proving to be an invaluable resource to baked goods manufacturers of all sizes and facilitating growth of our $87-billion-dollar industry.

ASB Members join the organization to share knowledge, encourage and promote skill development, and create resources that advance the industry and its workforce. It is through the interactions and contributions of our members that we foster mutually meaningful business relationships. ASB is the secretariat for the ANSI Z50.1 and Z50.2 Standards. To learn more about ASB and the Z50 standard, visit ANSI Standards | Safety and Sanitation | American Society of Baking (asbe.org)