Low Water Activity Foods and Micro
Hello Everyone,
I am meeting management resistance in regards to microbiological testing. The constant refrain: "the water activity in our products/ingredients is too low to support the growth of anything." Can someone back me up here (perhaps a good article or something) that testing on some level is still necessary? Thanks!
Some additional information would be helpful. Are we talking environmental, raw or finished product? What type of product are we talking about?
Starch bed samples (I have a previous post on this, if you want more in depth information) but I also hear the same for finished product (confectionery aw = 0.6).
Water activity is not the be all and end all.
Remiind your employers of incidents such as the following contamination scares -
2008 - Wheat flour contaminated with naturally-occurring pyrrolidizine alkaloids is thought to be the cause of 38 cases of hepatic veno-occlusive disease including 4 deaths in Afghanistan
2011 - German E. coli O104:H4 outbreak was caused by EHEC O104:H4 contaminated fenugreek seeds imported from Egypt in 2009 and 2010.
2012, August - September - Multiple American Licorice Company black licorice products recalled due to high lead levels in the products. Consuming a bag of product could give children lead levels as high as 13.2 micrograms/daily limit, double the amount regulators consider actionable.
But that said - you are working with a very low risk product so you would not need the rigorous testing schedule like a more high risk product.
Maybe determine top 3 possible contaminants based on investigation into where it comes from / possible contaminants etc etc and test for them once evry three months (or based on risk) to show due care?
Ugh, I hear this *all the time* becuase my product is chocolate -
http://www.telegraph...-chocolate.html
If you can give us your product it would be easier to come up with examples of micro risk.
Even in case you are right and there is no possibility of microbiological growth -> there is no guarantee that the product was not contaminated before! Moreover it can be contaminated during processing steps!
Just think about the PIGS principle!
Presence of Hazards
Introduction of Hazards
Growth of hazards
Survival of Hazards
Maybe G might not be of interest, but are you confident, that you don´t have any problems with the others?
So maybe at least some testing on raw material should be made.
Actually I am shocked that you don´t do any testing O.O
But maybe it´s because I am really sensitive to microbiological hazards due to my products (baby food)......
Ugh, I hear this *all the time* becuase my product is chocolate -
http://www.telegraph...-chocolate.html
If you can give us your product it would be easier to come up with examples of micro risk.
We are one of only a handful of companies that make this specific product, so for the sake of anonymity, I'd rather not say (I wish I could but I like my job--most of the time!). It's basically a fat-free nougat product. We have a kill step near the beginning of the process but the product is then coated in starch. It is low risk, unfortunately, others seem to believe it is no risk. Historically, there has never been an issue with the product, or others like it, which only lends weight to the belief that I am being overly cautious and wasting time and money on testing :thumbdown:
Even in case you are right and there is no possibility of microbiological growth -> there is no guarantee that the product was not contaminated before! Moreover it can be contaminated during processing steps!
Just think about the PIGS principle!
Presence of Hazards
Introduction of Hazards
Growth of hazards
Survival of Hazards
Maybe G might not be of interest, but are you confident, that you don´t have any problems with the others?
So maybe at least some testing on raw material should be made.
Actually I am shocked that you don´t do any testing O.O
But maybe it´s because I am really sensitive to microbiological hazards due to my products (baby food)......
Exactly the point I am trying to drive home-- survival if not growth! We do test finished product (surprisingly, only one customer requests this with every order so it is only done when they order-- ~1 per month) and have not seen any issues. It's a small company, just getting started with auditing and the like, so I'm trying to start more EM, etc. and move towards best practices, even if it does sometimes seem like overkill.
We have a kill step near the beginning of the process but the product is then coated in starch. It is low risk, unfortunately, others seem to believe it is no risk. Historically, there has never been an issue with the product, or others like it, which only lends weight to the belief that I am being overly cautious and wasting time and money on testing :thumbdown:
Do you test the starch? Because it could recontaminate your product.
Historically... you mean no complaints? Because without testing its hard to say that there where never problems.
For Verification... do you test samples after and before heating step? Every 3 month or something (depending on risk assessment)?
ahh you just answered one question :)
Do you feel confident about the validation of your heating step?
Do you test the starch? Because it could recontaminate your product.
Historically... you mean no complaints? Because without testing its hard to say that there where never problems.
For Verification... do you test samples after and before heating step? Every 3 month or something (depending on risk assessment)?
More frequent starch testing is what I am trying to get resources for right now. Like I stated before, we do test finished product randomly, so *technically* some of the starch is being tested.
ahh you just answered one question :)
Do you feel confident about the validation of your heating step?
Our kill step heats to over 110C and holds for several minutes, so I am not worried about initial contamination. My concern is with the post-cooking introduction of contamination (e.g. the starch bed!).
My concern is with the post-cooking introduction of contamination (e.g. the starch bed!).
I am totally with you! You could re-introduce MOs by using starch.
Whats your target group? adults?
Do you have any historical data regarding micro sampling of your starch?
How much is the amount of starch in the end product? I don´t want to know your recipe ;) but is it less than ... lets say..1%?
Because you have to think about the influence a potentially contaminted starch would have --> less than 1%..... how much of the product do you have to eat until you get affected? Is it a reasonable daily amount?
So maybe a monitoring of your starch might be sufficent. And its a compromiss between you and the management .....but you should make a risk assessment with these questions in mind.
What's the aw?
What's the aw?
aw = ~0.6. ~15% moisture.
Maybe these will help you out - they reference outbreaks with lower aw
Maybe these will help you out - they reference outbreaks with lower aw
I'm assuming you've had to use these in to counter the "no risk" argument as well ;). Although I wish none of us had to put up with management resistance, I have to admit I find it comforting knowing that I am not alone! Thank you so much for your help!