ASABE Develops Standard for Specialty Crop Equipment

The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) has initiated the development of a new standard for specialty crop equipment. S664, Direct to Consumption Specialty Crop Equipment Sanitary Design Requirements, will establish industry consensus sanitary design standards for specialty crop equipment that is used in direct-to-consumer specialty crop production.

This work began when FDA approached the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) to learn more about sanitary design of equipment that is used in the production of specialty crops. AEM worked with FDA to share information on the current state of the industry and understand some of the concerns that they had. In doing so equipment manufactures decided to be proactive in their approach and work with ASABE to help establish industry standards around sanitation for what is an emerging equipment market.