Bakery Equipment Manufacturers and Allieds (BEMA), in collaboration with the American Society of Baking (ASB) and the Baking Equipment Assessment Group (BEAG), has announced the Sanitary Design Workshop, a two-day, in-depth educational program focused on practical, real-world approaches to sanitation, food safety, and sanitary design. The workshop will take place March 31–April 1, in Chicago at the Loews Chicago O'Hare Hotel.

Designed for baking and food manufacturing professionals across operations, engineering, sanitation, maintenance, and food safety, the Sanitary Design Workshop aims to deliver foundational principles and actionable tools through hands-on activities and real-world case studies. The program emphasizes aligning sanitation practices with equipment and facility design to improve efficiency, reduce risk, and support long-term operational success.

Workshop topics include:

• Sanitation fundamentals and risk assessment
• Dry versus wet cleaning strategies
• Water control
• Equipment and facility sanitary design best practices
• Maintenance and lifecycle management
• Capital and construction considerations
• Strategies to optimize sanitation for efficiency, cost reduction, and minimized downtime

In addition to practical sanitation and sanitary design instruction, the workshop will include insight from BEAG on how the bakery-specific ANSI/ASB Z50.2 sanitary design standard can strengthen food safety programs. The organization will highlight how certification supports consistent evaluation of equipment design, improves confidence in sanitation performance, and provides credible documentation that can be leveraged across purchasing, compliance, and internal stakeholder alignment.

The program features expert instructors and industry leaders, including representatives from General Mills, Campbell’s, Mead & Hunt, NGI Global, Indue, Commercial Food Sanitation, and BEAG, bringing diverse perspectives and deep technical expertise to the learning experience.

“High-quality, hands-on training like this is essential for advancing sanitation and food safety across our industry. The Sanitary Design Workshop brings expert insight together in a practical format, and the convenient location makes it easier for teams to attend, learn, and bring meaningful improvements back to their facilities,” says Emily Bowers, EVP, BEMA.

Registration for the Sanitary Design Workshop is $995, with a $100 discount available for BEMA members, ASB members, and BEAG registered companies. Space is limited to ensure an interactive, high-quality learning environment.

A limited number of sponsorship opportunities are available for $2,500, offering organizations increased visibility and direct engagement with attendees during this highly focused technical program.

The Sanitary Design Workshop reflects BEMA’s ongoing commitment to advancing food safety, operational excellence, and collaboration across the baking and food manufacturing industries, the organization says.

For additional information, registration details, or sponsorship inquiries, visit bema.org.

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