3-A certification is an indication that a piece of equipment has been third-party verified to meet 3-A standards by a CCE. Any equipment used in food, beverage, and pharmaceutical manufacturing operations can be 3-A certified, such as pumps, tanks, and valves. However, meeting the requirements can be expensive, and attaining certification can be difficult. The latter is further compounded by the fact that there are only 16 3-A SSI CCEs worldwide who can certify sanitary process equipment.