Hygienic design is fundamental to ensuring food safety, product quality, operational efficiency and sustainable production in the food and beverage industry. The increasing variety of products, the extension of shelf lives, the reduction of production cycles, the advent of new production technologies and the mounting sustainability demands are placing hygienic design at the core of engineering and operational decisions. Against this backdrop, EHEDG Guideline 8, 'Hygienic Design Principles', is the foundational reference document for the hygienic design of food processing equipment, production environments, and factory infrastructure. This presentation introduces the fourth edition of EHEDG Guideline 8 (2025) and explains its role as the conceptual backbone of the EHEDG guideline framework and equipment certification scheme. Rather than prescribing detailed design solutions, the guideline establishes a risk-based design philosophy that links intended use, product characteristics, cleaning methods, and hygienic risk to appropriate design choices. A key focus of the presentation is the strengthened emphasis on hygienic design risk management in the latest edition. The audience will gain insight into how hygienic risks arise from ingress, growth and accumulation of contaminants, and how these risks must be assessed in relation to open and closed processes, wet and dry cleaning, and different equipment classes (EL/ED, Class I and II, aseptic applications). The presentation focuses on the five principles of hygienic design defined in EHEDG Guideline 8: material compatibility, cleanability, draining ability, accessibility and segregation. Real-world case studies from food processing operations illustrate how seemingly minor design decisions, such as surface geometry, drainage angles, and accessibility for cleaning, can significantly impact food safety, cleaning efficiency, and production uptime. Finally, the presentation emphasises the importance of integrating hygienic design, demonstrating that hygienic equipment alone cannot guarantee hygienic production unless the layout, utilities, supports and automation are also designed according to the same principles. The presentation discusses the role of EHEDG Guideline 8 as a practical decision-making framework for manufacturers and operators, and its relevance for EHEDG certification. The presentation concludes by positioning EHEDG Guideline 8 not as a design checklist, but as a shared engineering mindset that enables the creation of robust, cleanable and future-proof food manufacturing systems.