Microbial Control Program - Packaging Production
Hello All,
Our AIB audit is coming near and in our last year's recommendations our auditor recommended us to determine if a Microbial Control Program was needed. So I'm not sure how do we determine that.
We are a contract packaging company and we do secondary packaging only.
-Thank you.
Hello All,
Our AIB audit is coming near and in our last year's recommendations our auditor recommended us to determine if a Microbial Control Program was needed. So I'm not sure how do we determine that.
We are a contract packaging company and we do secondary packaging only.
-Thank you.
Hi Anjana,
Perhaps there was some specific reason given why this recommendation was raised in the AIB audit ??
I’m not an AIB user but for starters I presume yr query refers to section 5.10 in the AIB consolidated standards, ie –
5.10 Microbial Control Program (MCP)
Pathogens and non-pathogens can contaminate the container’s product contact surface and present a potential for microbiological contamination of the food or beverage products within the food contact packaging material if the risk is not managed.
Critical Requirements
5.10.1.1 If needed, a written Microbial Control Program that addresses microbiological analysis for raw materials, fi nished product, production, and packaging as dictated by the assessment.
etc up to 5.10.1.10
This slightly older thread may be helpful –
http://www.ifsqn.com...ontrol-program/
It appears that you may initially need to demonstrate, eg(?) by a Hazard analysis, as to the necessity for a MCP, eg via type of usage of yr packaging, process environment etc.
Secondary packaging is presumably relatively low risk from a usage POV but possibly AIB expect some additional process risk assessment ?
Hopefully other posters may have direct experience yr situation as to the degree of risk assesment required ?
Hi Anjana,
We are a food contact packaging manufacturing AIB inspected for years (now going SQF) and have always performed microbial testing. On a quarterly basis, we collect a sample of product from each production line and send out to a lab to test for total plate count and total coliform. A result of less than 10 we accept as evidence of no contamination. Very easy and every auditor was satisfied that we met the AIB requirement in section 5.10.Good luck!
You should determine the total plate count and total coliform at an acredited laboratory