Specifications for Micro Testing of Water used in Food Production

Hi all,

Wondering if anyone could hep me regarding the micro limits in the testing of water.  The water is used in a food recipe which is then heated to 200°C.  I have been using the eu regulations for drinking water but I am not sure this is correct as they seem very limited for water that is being heated to a high temperature.

Would appreciate all info.

Thanks! :)

Hi all,

 

Wondering if anyone could hep me regarding the micro limits in the testing of water.  The water is used in a food recipe which is then heated to 200°C.  I have been using the eu regulations for drinking water but I am not sure this is correct as they seem very limited for water that is being heated to a high temperature.

 

Would appreciate all info.

 

Thanks! :)

Dear Waferthin,

Do you have some particular suspicion regarding the micro. quality of yr water ? eg contaminated with some particular (super?)  pathogen resistant to 200degC ?

The routine water micro. testing parameters are a compromise based on the indicator concept. Properly treated water hopefully has the least chance of confounding the logic.

If you would like to appreciate the general routine logic / major micro. health undesirable inhabitants which have also been documented, can see many of them listed / discussed  here (bit old but quite readable/micro.authoritative)  –

Water Quality and Public Health,2002.pdf   201.94KB   172 downloads

Rgds / Charles.C

Hi all,

 

Wondering if anyone could hep me regarding the micro limits in the testing of water.  The water is used in a food recipe which is then heated to 200°C.  I have been using the eu regulations for drinking water but I am not sure this is correct as they seem very limited for water that is being heated to a high temperature.

 

Would appreciate all info.

 

Thanks! :)

I can't imagine any organism surviving not only water at that temperature but the pressure.  What manufacturing procedure are you using to contain water at 225 PSI?

Normally water cert for potability is;

Coliform per sample - absent

Heterotrophic Plate Count/ml <100 (I may be wrong on this number)

Regulatory bodies may also include organics/inorganics.    

Micro is not the only hazard in water.  I was once trained and certified to maintain potability of raw water (for processing water and human consumption).

We were required to send monthly water samples to a state (in the US) certified lab for turbidity, micro and chemical testing (with daily testing requirements of chlorine ppm and turbidity).  But if you get your water from a water source that is treated by a country/state/province authority; one can request the documentation from them (if you feel that water supply does not have the capability of being contaminated).

Cheers,

-Baron

Don't forget that if you get testing results from your local water authority that you still undertake testing from the output in your factory. Contamination can occur in your own pipes that your business controls.

Don't forget that if you get testing results from your local water authority that you still undertake testing from the output in your factory. Contamination can occur in your own pipes that your business controls.

This is what I do.  Currently I only guarantee potability with a certified lab with point of use sampling.  Should I also have the municipality cert?

And could you also provide HPC regulatory limits?  I thought it was <100 but I can't get confirmation.  

Thanks
 

This is what I do.  Currently I only guarantee potability with a certified lab with point of use sampling.  Should I also have the municipality cert?

 

And could you also provide HPC regulatory limits?  I thought it was <100 but I can't get confirmation.  

 

Thanks
 

Dear Slab,

You can count yourself lucky not to have encountered any requirement for compliance to the heavyweights, eg EC. :smile:

I wish I knew what HPC means. High Pressure Chomatography ? State in Australia ? :smile:

Rgds / Charles.C

OK I've just spotted HPC above, you should patent it :thumbup:

(Sorry, looks like WHO have beaten you to it)

Dear Slab,

 

You can count yourself lucky not to have encountered any requirement for compliance to the heavyweights, eg EC. :smile:

 

 

Okay, my turn... What's EC?  :smile:

[edit]

EC = EU regulations?

Dear Slab,

EC = European Commission. It is probably more politically correct to refer to EU (= European Union) but the issued rules, regulations, directives etc  as listed in “Europa” appear under various guises, eg  EU…, EC…..and even EEC… I have no idea as to the preferred  honorific.

For example –

http://europa.eu/about-eu/index_en.htm

But –

http://ec.europa.eu/...rk/index_en.htm

The explanatory  text tends to the Monty Pythonesque.

And -

http://ec.europa.eu/...slation_en.html

Rgds / Charles.C

Thanks all.  My concern is not with the current process as such a high temperature is used in it but with other potential processes where high heat treatment is not used.  We currently received water results from our local authority as well as our own testing.  Current internal standards are as below

TVC @22°C <100 cfu/250ml

TVC @37°C <20cfu/250ml

Coliforms 0/250ml

E.coli 0/250ml

Enterococci 0/250ml

Clostridium perfringens 0/250ml

but TVC results have on occasion been found to be outside of this specification.  The above standards are from the EU directive on drinking water (in containers) which I think are a bit stringent for the Company to be complying to.  There have been no issues with results from the local authority and their results cover a wide range of tests in comparisons to ours.  

Hi

I have same question. We have tested water in several points in our taps and we have below results, what should we do about it ? Can anybody advise ?

Method Result Units

 

Hi

 

I have same question. We have tested water in several points in our taps and we have below results, what should we do about it ? Can anybody advise ?

 

Method Result Units

M042 Aerobic Colony Count @ 22°C 68hrs | 2.1x10^3 cfu/ml

M043 Aerobic Colony Count @ 37oC 44h w 0 cfu/ml

M044 Total Coliforms n 0 cfu/100ml

M044 Escherichia coli b 0 cfu/100ml

 

 

Hi :) 

 

TVC 22 & 37 - TVC stands for ‘total viable count’, a laboratory test that indicates the level of heterotrophic organisms within a sample. Heterotrophs are a large group of organisms that can be further divided into fungi, yeasts, moulds and bacteria. Therefore, the results of a TVC test may offer an indication into the ‘general level’ of contamination within a system.

 

A few things to consider : 

 

- QA / Staff training for aseptic water samples collection 

- Water point cleaning and sanitisaton (Sometimes the little sieve can have a bit of lime scale and your results will be affected) 

- I would recommend running the water for 1-5 minutes although this can vary from tap to tap. 

- Water point re-sample 

- Water storage prior collection should be <5°C, and should be stored away from light. 

;)