It is important that the plant design takes into account factors affecting the hygienic operation and cleanability of the plant. The risk of contamination of food products during open processing increases with the concentration of micro-organisms in the environment and their opportunity to grow in poorly designed equipment. This means that in open plants, environmental conditions, in addition to appropriate equipment design, have an important influence on hygienic operation. The type of product and the stage of the manufacturing process must also be taken into consideration. This paper deals with the principal hygienic requirements for equipment for open processing and applies to many different types, including machines for the preparation of dairy products, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, sweet oils, coffee products, cereals, vegetables, fruit, bakery products, meat and fish. It describes methods of construction and fabrication, giving examples as to how the principal criteria can be met. See also guidelines on hygienic design criteria (Doc 8), hygienic welding (Doc 9), and the hygienic design of equipment for closed processing (Doc 10).