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Micro. Guidelines for Food Contact Surfaces

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Charles.C

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Posted 30 April 2013 - 03:03 PM

Dear All,

I previously posted a table of various micro. guidelines for food contact surfaces which were mostly issued pre-2000 at this link –

http://www.ifsqn.com...dpost__p__22352

To update the earlier info., the attached excel file presents guideline data I have accumulated for 12 countries issued in the period 2000 – 2012. The compilation demonstrates that for a range of food-related scenarios, some “average” opinions for various (just) cleaned surfaces are –

(a) For Aerobic Plate Count (APC) - the majority of data suggests that, for routine cleaning/sanitising, surfaces typically have maximum APC counts in the range 10-100cfu/cm2 .
(b) For factors like Coliform, (generic) E.coli, Enterobacteriaceae, S.aureus, the expected maxima are, predictably, low, eg 1-10 cfu/cm2, or undetected. The latter requirement also invariably applies for “zero-tolerance” pathogenic microbial species.

Hopefully of some interest. Further input / comments welcome as usual.

Attached File  Compilation of International Micro. Guidelines for food contact surfaces, 2000 onwards.xls   993KB   7972 downloads

Rgds / Charles.C


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


HARPC

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Posted 30 April 2013 - 04:44 PM

Charles. C,
Thank you for creating these worksheets. They look really nice.

Regards,
Bill



SATYAPP337

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Posted 01 May 2013 - 05:52 AM

Excellent work Charles. You really have spent a lot of time in getting to this stage and am sure, will benefit so many of us. Posted Image



Mahmood Reza

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Posted 01 May 2013 - 11:51 AM

Many thanks for very useful information.

Dear All,

I previously posted a table of various micro. guidelines for food contact surfaces which were mostly issued pre-2000 at this link –

http://www.ifsqn.com...dpost__p__22352

To update the earlier info., the attached excel file presents guideline data I have accumulated for 12 countries issued in the period 2000 – 2012. The compilation demonstrates that for a range of food-related scenarios, some “average” opinions for various (just) cleaned surfaces are –

(a) For Aerobic Plate Count (APC) - the majority of data suggests that surfaces should have maximum APC counts in the range 10-100cfu/cm2 .
(b) For factors like Coliform, (generic) E.coli, Enterobacteriaceae, S.aureus, the expected maxima are, predictably, low, eg 1-10 cfu/cm2, or undetected. The latter requirement also invariably applies for “zero-tolerance” pathogenic microbial species.

Hopefully of some interest. Further input / comments welcome as usual.

Attached File  Compilation of International Micro. Guidelines for food contact surfaces, 2000 onwards.xls   993KB   7972 downloads

Rgds / Charles.C



Amanda Noe

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Posted 27 August 2013 - 02:52 AM

Thankyou for the information. Its very useful!



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Posted 16 December 2013 - 01:16 PM

dear charles.c,

 

Thanks for your information. anyway, what is the limit range for those in used equipment?

 

For coliform and e.coli, do we have the standard in MPN unit?

 


Charles.C

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Posted 16 December 2013 - 03:23 PM

 

dear charles.c,

 

Thanks for your information. anyway, what is the limit range for those in used equipment?

 

For coliform and e.coli, do we have the standard in MPN unit?

 

 

 

Dear khc,

 

Yr first query is sort of unanswerable without more context. For example, Cleaned/sanitised, uncorroded, SS tables should be equatable to the the broad APC ranges mentioned. Presumably if you spend all day C/S, the results may be better. :smile:

 

Yr second query will depend on the method of course. I don't remember seeing any dilution-type data for the limits quoted but not impossible. For cleaned situations, the E.coli, S.aureus limits  are often simply "not detected/given area".

 

Rgds / Charles.C

 

PS- for those sufficiently interested, this post/previous were vaguely corollaries to -

 

http://www.ifsqn.com...ing/#entry67240


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


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Posted 29 April 2014 - 11:22 PM

Hello there!!! I'm new around here, and I have some doubts...

I've seen in some articles (here in Brazil, mostly) that APHA's guidelines for microbiological contamination of hands and 

surfaces that could be in contact to food can't get above 10^2 CFU/sq. cm. 

However, I've not found this information right from the source, I mean directly from APHA.

I can't find any document that could embase my researches.

I work at a milk processment industry, and we are determining the parameters for monitoring it,

and I need to embase the informations I'm gonna use.

 

Could someone show me the web adress, or post any document that I could

to use for this purpose?

 

Thanks,

 

Marciel



Charles.C

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Posted 30 April 2014 - 05:26 AM

Dear marcielrf

 

Assuming that Indian standards are acceptable to you -

 

Attached File  EIC_guidlines.pdf   852.42KB   1956 downloads

(pg19)

 

Rgds / Charles.C


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


hygienic

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Posted 30 April 2014 - 08:31 AM

I owe thanks to you ( charles)  , realy it is an emazing job from you , intrested guidlines that (on Excel Sheet) .

 

Big Thanks

 

Hygienic



green

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Posted 30 April 2014 - 10:59 AM

Really awesome information great job ....here i find like food contact surfaces



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Posted 22 May 2014 - 03:32 AM

Hi there....

I am searching for EU limits for TVC of surface swabs and hands.

Any EU guideline or regulations which i can refer for food contact surfaces/hands? 

 

thanx



Charles.C

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Posted 22 May 2014 - 03:26 PM

Hi there....

I am searching for EU limits for TVC of surface swabs and hands.

Any EU guideline or regulations which i can refer for food contact surfaces/hands? 

 

thanx

 

Dear ablho,

 

As suggested by data in post #1, i think there are no official EU-wide limits. Like most other diverse areas.

 

The nearest equivalent used to be some APC / coliform limits for meat processing tables but i think subsequently rescinded.

 

Rgds / Charles.C


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


caich arine

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Posted 01 August 2014 - 10:02 AM

Hi Thank you for the standard.

The excel that you gave is really helpful, do you have references for that so that we may read about it.

 

I really need where that references comes from.

 

 

Wishing you all will reply :)



Charles.C

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Posted 01 August 2014 - 10:16 AM

Hi Thank you for the standard.

The excel that you gave is really helpful, do you have references for that so that we may read about it.

 

I really need where that references comes from.

 

 

Wishing you all will reply :)

 

Dear caich arine,

 

Unfortunately there were too many sources / cross-links / abstracts to list. Sorry.

 

Rgds / Charles.C


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


caich arine

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Posted 01 August 2014 - 10:41 AM

Hi Charles C.

 

Do you have atleast 1 or 2 list?



luna_blue

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Posted 02 August 2014 - 04:45 AM

Dear Charles.C,

 

Appreciate much for the compilation which really serves as a good reference.



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Posted 30 March 2015 - 11:58 AM

Thank you



Ahmed Yusuf

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Posted 18 May 2015 - 07:01 AM

Dear All,

I previously posted a table of various micro. guidelines for food contact surfaces which were mostly issued pre-2000 at this link –

http://www.ifsqn.com...dpost__p__22352

To update the earlier info., the attached excel file presents guideline data I have accumulated for 12 countries issued in the period 2000 – 2012. The compilation demonstrates that for a range of food-related scenarios, some “average” opinions for various (just) cleaned surfaces are –

(a) For Aerobic Plate Count (APC) - the majority of data suggests that surfaces should have maximum APC counts in the range 10-100cfu/cm2 .
(b) For factors like Coliform, (generic) E.coli, Enterobacteriaceae, S.aureus, the expected maxima are, predictably, low, eg 1-10 cfu/cm2, or undetected. The latter requirement also invariably applies for “zero-tolerance” pathogenic microbial species.

Hopefully of some interest. Further input / comments welcome as usual.

attachicon.gifCompilation of International Micro. Guidelines for food contact surfaces, 2000 onwards.xls

Rgds / Charles.C

I would like to thank you for these useful information you've shared with us. :)



jpelvera

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Posted 20 May 2015 - 04:51 AM

This is excellent information.



Thanked by 1 Member:

nmkok

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Posted 01 June 2015 - 07:56 AM

Thank you for this informative post.



jtang

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Posted 28 July 2015 - 10:42 PM

Dear All,

I previously posted a table of various micro. guidelines for food contact surfaces which were mostly issued pre-2000 at this link –

http://www.ifsqn.com...dpost__p__22352

To update the earlier info., the attached excel file presents guideline data I have accumulated for 12 countries issued in the period 2000 – 2012. The compilation demonstrates that for a range of food-related scenarios, some “average” opinions for various (just) cleaned surfaces are –

(a) For Aerobic Plate Count (APC) - the majority of data suggests that surfaces should have maximum APC counts in the range 10-100cfu/cm2 .
(b) For factors like Coliform, (generic) E.coli, Enterobacteriaceae, S.aureus, the expected maxima are, predictably, low, eg 1-10 cfu/cm2, or undetected. The latter requirement also invariably applies for “zero-tolerance” pathogenic microbial species.

Hopefully of some interest. Further input / comments welcome as usual.

attachicon.gifCompilation of International Micro. Guidelines for food contact surfaces, 2000 onwards.xls

Rgds / Charles.C

 

Charles,

May I ask what is your background in the field?

I am using the reference materials you have posted as our internal reference for QA department. Thank you!



Charles.C

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Posted 28 July 2015 - 11:09 PM

Hi jtang,

 

Thanks for the comment.  Food QA via chemistry - it pays the rent. :smile:


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


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Posted 11 December 2015 - 03:08 AM

Dear Charles,

 

Thank you so much for the effort to compile useful information in the excel sheet.

 

Regards,
Sau  Mei



clover

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Posted 05 May 2016 - 09:45 AM

Muchas gracias, Charles :) 





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