2 replies to this topic

[Sussy]

Is a good sanitation procedure and time difference adequate for separation between raw and RTE food prep?

 

I found this paper from the UK. Is there anything in the US to validate sanitation and time for adequate separation?

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•  ecoli-cross-contamination-factsheet.pdf   244.99KB   28 downloads

[Sussy]

I think I found it.... this should be accepted by all. I would appreciate your thoughts on this

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•  Small_Plant_News_Vol4_No3.pdf   804.79KB   38 downloads

[Charles.C]

Hi sussy,

 

Is a good sanitation procedure and time difference adequate for separation between raw and RTE food prep?

 

I found this paper from the UK. Is there anything in the US to validate sanitation and time for adequate separation?

 

"Good" is somewhat subjective. The E.coli paper is foodservice oriented which has it's own requirements/limitations . Not sure if you wished to only refer to this (US) industry. if so i imagine the US Food Code or its State-specific interpretations will decide the issue.

 

Generally I don’t recall ever having seen any specific, scientifically validated, answer to yr query, US or UK. I opine that quantitative logic does not exist and any Regulatory/implemented requirements are concept-driven (= intuitively logical) (see below).

  

I think I found it.... this should be accepted by all. I would appreciate your thoughts on this

 

 

The article is specific to Industrial  US meat/poultry industry and its raw/RTE segregation-related opinion quoted below is presumably intended to be a (hopefully) validatable version  of the USDA viewpoint. The microbiological logic is particularly oriented to  L.mono.

Separation of Raw and RTE Products

Ideally, RTE and raw areas should be separated by physical barriers (walls) with separate air handling,

employees, equipment, utensils, tools, etc. However, if this is not possible, then RTE and raw processing areas should be separated by time or space. For example, schedule RTE processing on a different day than raw processing. Or, if processing on different days is not possible, always schedule the production of RTE products first, followed by raw products. Also consider using separate equipment for RTE and raw processing. Or, if separate equipment is not possible, use equipment for RTE processing first, followed by

equipment for raw processing.

 

 

I noted this caveat -

In establishments that produce FSIS and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-regulated products, it may also be advisable to separate the products to maintain the safety and integrity of FSIS-regulated products

.

The caveat implies that viewpoints (and perhaps Regulatory decision criteria) may differ.

I haven't checked but i daresay the philosophy implemented in the (FDA regulated) seafood industry/others will vary. If so, I predict the reasoning will again be conceptual. Other posters in US may have information on specific divergences.

 

Just as an example, a possible difference is illustrated in the BRC7 Food Standard which is probably intended to be reflective of the UK retail industry The standard particularly utilizes High Risk/High Care terminologies to define segregation requirements involving raw/RTE foods.

The logic determining the BRC segregational  requirements (notably physical/non-physical separation) seems primarily conceptual and is detailed in the Standard. It is based on the specific “nature” of the process, eg the degree of bacterial reduction to eventually be applied to the RTE food.

 

Generally I  predict that segregation requirements (if any) will vary with the Process / industry / location / regulation etc.

Edited by Charles.C, 27 August 2016 - 08:20 PM.
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