10 Dec Hygienic Design Principles Every Food & Beverage Production Facility Should Follow
Building a food & beverage production facility involves more than efficient equipment and clean floors. Hygienic design is part of every decision, from how the space is laid out to how surfaces are finished. These choices affect how well a plant runs, how safe it stays, and how it holds up under constant cleaning and inspection.
This time of year, winter temperatures across the Midwest add another layer to the planning, especially when you are dealing with food-grade construction. Materials must be tough, sanitary, and cold-weather ready, often all at once. From keeping product zones separated to making every surface cleanable, a hygienic construction contractor has to solve problems before they show up in the field.
We have decades of experience meeting the unique regulatory and hygiene requirements of Chicago-area manufacturing and food and beverage clients. As a trusted design-build contractor, our approach integrates safety and compliance at every project phase.
Smart Layout: Keeping Clean and Dirty Zones Separate
Clean zones and dirty zones do not mix. That starts with how food facilities are laid out. Every square foot of a facility needs to support worker flow, equipment movement, and safe processing.
• Separate spaces for raw and finished products help avoid contamination
• Worker paths must be clearly defined to prevent crossover between clean and dirty areas
• Access points with physical barriers or airlocks keep zones isolated
Controlled entrances for ingredients and staff can make or break plant hygiene. Setting up access points with clear rules helps keep risks out before they spread inside. The physical structure of the building should support this, not get in the way.
We specialize in flow-optimized design, helping facilities minimize cross-contamination risks and maintain compliant zoning in every square foot.
Easy-to-Clean Surfaces That Stay Tough
Surfaces inside a food facility get washed down, scrubbed, and disinfected every day. They need to hold up to that abuse without collecting dirt or breaking down.
• Use non-porous materials like insulated metal panels or stainless steel on walls and ceilings
• Avoid unnecessary ledges or ceiling beams where dust and fluids can collect
• Choose sealants that do not peel or crack, even after repeated chemical washes
When we think about cleanability, we keep one goal in mind: build surfaces that do not give food particles or bacteria a place to hide. Joints, anchors, and seams are kept to a minimum and closed off wherever possible. The fewer areas that require manual work to clean, the better.
Our construction solutions are informed by experience with USDA- and FDA-regulated environments and the selection of high-performance, food-safe materials. Using these types of surfaces contributes to long-lasting durability and supports intense cleaning regimens in busy facilities.
Drainage and Moisture Control for Chicago Winters
Water management impacts everything. Without proper drainage, floors stay wet, slip hazards increase, and mold risks go up. This is amplified during Midwest winters, when frost and snow complicate construction and ongoing operations.
• Sloped floors and trench drains keep moisture moving away from working areas
• Frost-rated drains and plumbing resist cracking or freezing under extreme cold
• Sealed expansion joints block bacteria and stop freeze-thaw cycles from weakening surfaces
We design for efficiency and maintenance. That means planning drainage early, choosing the right frost line depth, and using materials that will not deteriorate after one hard winter. Frozen pipes or cracked joints are more than an inconvenience in a food facility, they can lead to contamination.
Moisture is a persistent challenge throughout winter. As snow and ice are brought into a facility from outside, it is important to have entry zones that channel excess water away from production floors quickly and reliably. Good drainage not only helps protect against slips and accidents but also helps extend the life of flooring materials and minimize bacterial growth.
Mechanical and Utility Systems: Built for Cleaning and Safety
Mechanical systems are often one of the heaviest parts of an industrial build. In food & beverage production facilities, they need to support hygiene without getting in the way of cleanroom protocols.
• Ducts and vents must be placed away from exposed food zones
• Electrical boxes must use rated enclosures that resist water and debris
• Utility chases should be designed to avoid cutting across washable surfaces
Clear access is just as important. If you need to clean a filter or tighten a valve, you have to be able to reach it without tearing apart a wall. That is especially true when operating under food-safe conditions that limit how and when you can work in production zones.
Mechanical systems must be inspected frequently. Planning for convenient maintenance access reduces downtime and interruption to production. Proper placement of utility lines and valves also helps inspection crews more quickly verify compliance.
Build for the Regulators: USDA and FDA Guidelines in Mind
Hygienic facilities move fast during inspections. That is not just luck, it is design. From how people move through spaces to where documentation gets stored, every detail should support frequent audits and compliance checks.
• Layouts should support line-of-sight inspections and clean walking paths
• Offices, record rooms, and QA areas should be placed outside clean zones but stay connected
• Build in places to verify cleanouts and cleaning logs without walking into the plant floor
We build with inspectors in mind. That means planning for what documentation they need, how they will check airflow, or where they will want to inspect surfaces. Hygienic standards are part of the building’s DNA.
Carefully considered designs reduce the stress of audits and help maintain uninterrupted operations. When walkways, entry points, and recordkeeping zones are built logically, compliance and verification are simpler for your team.
Clean Designs for Reliable Operations
Running a food & beverage production facility is challenging enough without surface risks, buildup problems, or equipment conflicts. Hygienic design helps reduce all of that.
We think long-term. We build layouts that protect food from raw to finished state. We select materials that clean up fast and last through years of shifts and seasons. And we plan every system, from drains to ductwork, to survive Midwest winters and pass inspections.
Reliable operations benefit from clean, well-organized layouts that keep production flowing. Each construction decision impacts every shift, impacting sanitation, safety, and maintenance for years to come.
Clean construction decisions protect your product and create a plant that is easier to run and simpler to maintain. When hygiene drives the build, everything else just works better.
Our expertise delivers food facilities that meet the highest standards for sanitation, safety, and efficiency. Our longstanding relationships with leading food manufacturers in Illinois showcase a proven record of on-time, compliant project delivery for complex operational needs.
Smart construction choices matter when building a facility that demands strict hygiene. From drainage strategies to surface materials, every part of the build should support sanitation and stand up to Midwest conditions. As a trusted hygienic construction contractor, we focus on layouts, materials, and systems that work as hard as the people using them. At Keeley Construction, we bring the same discipline to compliance and safety that your operation brings to production. Contact us to start planning your next build.