Products with a short shelf life, or whose shelf life is extended by c
old storage or in-pack heat treatments, do not have to conform to such
strict microbiological requirements as aseptically packaged foods. No
netheless, it is important to ensure that they are protected from unac
ceptable microbial contamination. This paper summarizes guidelines pre
pared by the Packing Machines subgroup of the European Hygienic Equipm
ent Design Group (EHEDG) for the hygienic (but nonaseptic) packing of
food products. This is the 12th in a series of articles featuring the
EHEDG to be published in Trends in Food Science and Technology, The EH
EDG is an independent consortium formed to develop guidelines and test
methods for the safe and hygienic processing of food. The group inclu
des representatives from research institutes, the food industry, equip
ment manufacturers and government organizations in Europe.