Choosing the Right Conveyor Belt: A Guide to Belt Types
April 2, 2025
American-made, Stainless Steel Conveyors for a Variety of Industries
American-made, Stainless Steel Conveyors for a Variety of Industries
Sanitary compliance isn’t one rulebook. It’s a stack of programs, standards, and customer requirements that overlap. This quick guide translates what multiple compliances (HACCP, SQF, BISSC, USDA, FDA, etc.) typically mean for conveyor design, installation, and maintenance – plus a field-ready audit checklist you can use on your next walk-throug
This article is made for plant engineers, QA/food-safety leaders, maintenance supervisors, and OEM project managers working with sanitary/washdown conveyors.
3-A
Dairy, beverages, liquid foods 20%
Smooth, cleanable, drainable designs; hygienic joints & seals
| 3-A conformance (if applicable), material & surface-finish documentation |
BISSC
Bakery lines – dough, proof, bake, cool, package
Crevice-free, accessible frames; crumb mgmt; tool-less disassembly
Drawings/specs, materials declarations, cleaning instructions
FDA
Most non-USDA foods (21 CFR 117); materials for belts/plastics/lubes (21 CFR 177/178)
cGMP adherence, validated sanitation, allergen changeovers; proof materials are FDA-compliant
| Letters of guaranty with CFR cites, Preventive Controls records, SSOPs |
HACCP
All food-contact/adjacent processes & equipment
Hazard analysis around conveyors; effective controls (guards, drip mgmt), sanitation & verification
Hazard analysis, CCPs (if any), monitoring / verification, corrective actions, SSOPs
NSF
Food-equipment materials/construction (e.g., NSF/ANSI 51)
Material suitability, corrosion resistance, cleanability, validated access
| NSF listings (if relevant), cleaning / maintenance instructions |
SQF
Facility-wide GFSI program (manufacturing, packaging, storage & distribution)
Implemented SQF System: conveyor risk assessments, validated sanitation & allergen controls, PM, training, internal audits
SQF Manual (policies, procedures, records), validation/verification, supplier/material approvals, CARs, management review
USDA
Meat, poultry, egg products (raw & RTE)
Cleanability, drainage, splash control, zone separation, weld quality, compatible lubricants, no niches
| Install drawings, weld maps/finish notes, SSOPs, chemical lists |
3-A
Applies: Dairy, beverages, liquid foods
Auditors look for: Smooth, cleanable, drainable designs; hygienic joints & seals
Have ready: 3-A conformance (if applicable), material & surface-finish documentation
BISSC
Applies: Bakery lines – dough, proof, bake, cool, package
Auditors look for: Crevice-free, accessible frames; crumb management; tool-less disassembly
Have ready: Drawings/specs, materials declarations, cleaning instructions
FDA (FSMA / cGMP & Materials)
Applies: Most non-USDA foods (21 CFR 117); materials for belts/plastics/lubricants (21 CFR 177/178)
Auditors look for: cGMP adherence, validated sanitation, allergen changeovers; proof materials are FDA-compliant
Have ready: Letters of guaranty with CFR cites, Preventive Controls records, SSOPs
HACCP
Applies: All food-contact/adjacent processes & equipment
Auditors look for: Hazard analysis around conveyors; effective controls (guards, drip management); sanitation & verification
Have ready: Hazard analysis, CCPs (if any), monitoring/verification, corrective actions, SSOPs
NSF
Applies: Food-equipment materials/construction (e.g., NSF/ANSI 51)
Auditors look for: Material suitability, corrosion resistance, cleanability, validated access
Have ready: NSF listings (if relevant), cleaning/maintenance instructions
SQF
Applies: Facility-wide GFSI program (manufacturing, packaging, storage & distribution)
Auditors look for: Implemented SQF System – conveyor risk assessments, validated sanitation & allergen controls, PM, training, internal audits
Have ready: SQF Manual (policies, procedures, records), validation/verification, supplier/material approvals, CARs, management review
USDA
Applies: Meat, poultry, egg products (raw & RTE)
Auditors look for: Cleanability, drainage, splash control, zone separation, weld quality, compatible lubricants, no niches
Have ready: Install drawings, weld maps/finish notes, SSOPs, chemical lists
1) Materials & Surface Finish
2) Welds & Joints
3) Geometry & Drainage
4) Belting & Components
5) Separation & Controls
6) Cleaning, Sanitizers & Chemicals
7) Allergen & Changeover Readiness
Flat cross-members that puddle → Switch to angled/round; add drains outside product zone.
Niches behind wearstrips → Use removable, standoff-mounted wearstrips; note removal in SSOPs.
Open tube ends → Cap or use solid bar in product zones.
Threaded fasteners in product zones → Replace with welds or sanitary, tool-less hardware.
Belts that trap soils at hinges → Choose solid-top or small-pitch modular with easy pin removal; improve spray access.
Chemical attack on plastics → Recheck pH/oxidizer compatibility; change materials or chemistry.
Hanover Conveying Systems designs and fabricates sanitary conveyors engineered to align with HACCP, SQF, BISSC, USDA/FSIS, and FDA expectations. Our stainless, open-frame builds use continuous welds, self-draining geometry, and tool-less, quick-release features to speed cleaning and allergen changeovers, while belts and plastics are specified to meet relevant FDA food-contact requirements.
From early concept through fabrication and testing, we collaborate with your team to tailor materials and features to your sanitation program, so the finished conveyor supports your audits and performs day in, day out.
We’re looking forward to working with you. Whether you have questions about products or services, our team is ready to help.