The February 2026 USDA guideline lists separate sanitary-design standards for three equipment groups.
Three distinct standards
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service published sanitary-design guidance for meat and poultry equipment in February 2026. It names NSF/ANSI/3-A 14159-1 for processing equipment other than hand-held tools and mechanical belt conveyors. Standard 14159-2 covers hand-held tools, while 14159-3 covers exposed-product mechanical belt conveyors.
How the review works
The AMS equipment review programme is voluntary and fee-based. Reviewers examine engineering drawings and the actual processing equipment before a final evaluation. A successful review can lead to a model being placed on the agency's accepted equipment list. The guidelines do not say every processing plant must submit its equipment for AMS review.