The current draft of the ANSI Z50.2 Sanitation Standard for bakery equipment is now up for public comment. Modifications to the standard take the input of members of the baking industry, says the American Bakers Association (ABA), Washington, D.C. As of May 25, individuals have been welcome to review the document and submit comments. The ABA says that over the past year, more than 70 individuals have worked on revising and updating the ANSI Z50.2 standard. Formerly known as the BISSC standard, the ANSI Z50.2 sets the parameters for the design, construction and installation of bakery equipment that is more efficient to operate, clean, and maintain, and reduces the risk of quality issues, product recalls and even foodborne illness outbreaks.

In 2011, various groups were formed to review specific portions of the standard and make recommendations to the Z50.2 committee on potential revisions. These group meetings are currently being facilitated by SAGE Food Safety Consultants, LLC (SFSC). ABA, the American Institute of Baking (AIB) and Baking Equipment Manufacturers and Allieds (BEMA) contracted with SAGE Food Safety Consultants in late 2010 to restart, reinvigorate and manage the process of updating the standard. In February 2012, a revised draft of the standard was presented to the American Society of Baking (ASB) Z50 committee, which then voted to move the revision forward through the ANSI process. Comments may be submitted to tna’s Toby Steward at toby.steward@tnasolutions.com and psa@ansi.org.