Hello Fellow Food Safety Colleagues,
I am looking for some help in determining whether or not our facility really needs an Environmental Pathogen Monitoring Program or not. We are going to be seeking SQF Level 2 certification in the near future, and our facility is somewhat unique, I believe. We are processing grain (oats), and the only two functions we'll be performing are de-hulling (to create oat groats, an entirely dry process), and then steam-rolling oats (steaming oats in a special chamber for 15 minutes at over 200 degrees F.
The facility will only be dry cleaned, with the exception of cleaning the chamber and a short cooling conveyor after the steaming process.
These are both very shelf-stable products, with very little (almost none) inherent risk for pathogenic contamination.
With other controls in place, like a captive boot program (footwear used at work is kept on-site and not allowed to be worn off the premises), I'm struggling to see how we would need to have an environmental monitoring program.
Thoughts? I would appreciate any and all input on the matter!
Thanks,
Brian