The publication is intended to check the effectiveness of cleaning and disinfection methods. It deals with visual inspection, sampling from plant surfaces, re-usable product containers, air, sampling of water and aqueous solutions other than those added to the product, and sampling of raw materials and products. Health and safety – ensures the implementation of GHP – Good Hygiene Practices –and compliance with safety at work regulations. This International Standard is one of a series of standards relating to the safety of machinery (ISO 12100 series). It differs from other safety standards, however, in that it is concerned with the associated hygiene risks of the machinery to the consumer of the product being processed, not to the operator of the machine. Hygiene risks are very different from other safety risks. They are more associated with the ability of machines to be freed from product debris and micro-organisms, and thus preventing product contamination, rather than from the dangers of moving parts or electrical hazards to the operator. For this reason, and whilst this International Standard considers machines and their associated equipment, it can be used to provide guidance to the manufacturers of all equipment types where hygiene risks to the consumer of products to be processed by such equipment could occur.