Jump to content

  • Quick Navigation
Photo

Listeria Policy / Listeria Management Program

Share this

  • You cannot start a new topic
  • Please log in to reply
6 replies to this topic

Twinkle

    Grade - MIFSQN

  • IFSQN Member
  • 68 posts
  • 17 thanks
6
Neutral

  • South Africa
    South Africa
  • Gender:Female

Posted 05 April 2018 - 09:17 AM

Good day All

 

Im hoping some one can give me clarity on this topic. With the recent outbreaks of Listeria in South Africa, all customers are demanding a Listeria Policy / Listeria Management Program to be sent to them.

 

We are a dry powder blending factory, our products requires the consumer to cook the product before consuming. As per my knowledge, L.monocytogenes can be found mainly in RTE foods.

 

Would we need a Listeria Policy / Listeria Management Program ? if yes please could you direct me to one. If no, how do I illustrate to my auditor that we are Low risk and not susceptible to L.monocytogenes contamination? Would I have to show via a risk assessment that we are not at risk for the contamination and then draw up a Policy based on that risk assessment or vice versa!

 

TIA



FSQA

    Grade - SIFSQN

  • IFSQN Senior
  • 315 posts
  • 126 thanks
55
Excellent

  • United States
    United States

Posted 05 April 2018 - 01:20 PM

Twinkle,

 

Conducting a Risk assessment could be the best route to follow. Your risk assessment could be backed by an effective policy Environment Monitoring Program, inclusive of Listeria monitoring, particularly in drains.

 

Do you supply directly to consumers or it goes to another processor in the supply chain (retail/Bulk-Wholesale)?

If you supply retail, packaging and documentation must reflect that the product is to be cooked before consumption. If you supply to another processor, the specifications should reflect that this is an untreated (microbial) product and the buyer understands the status of the product.

 

 



Thanked by 1 Member:

Twinkle

    Grade - MIFSQN

  • IFSQN Member
  • 68 posts
  • 17 thanks
6
Neutral

  • South Africa
    South Africa
  • Gender:Female

Posted 05 April 2018 - 01:51 PM

Hi

 

Thank you for your help

 

Can you direct me to an effective environment monitoring program document please  :spoton:

 

We manufacture an inhouse brand, which is then packed into their packaging and sent to their warehouses for dispatch to their stores. all our packaging declares that the product needs to be cooked. 

 

We have no drains in the factory at all. When we clean our machines, the water is decanted into a holding vessel and discarded down a sink in our scullery that has a sieve to catch solids which are discarded.

 

I know its highly unlikely for there to be listeria in our factory due to the products we manufacture and our processes. However I know for sure my auditor will ask me "How do you know for sure that you can not have it in your factory if you have not done tests to prove its non existence"

 

I guess I just need to have a paper trail to prove it. Which would include Micro tests that are done.

 

however would you have a template for a Listeria risk assessment, or would you be able to list possible areas that listeria can be found so that I can cross check it against my list ?

 

TIA

 

 

Twinkle,

 

Conducting a Risk assessment could be the best route to follow. Your risk assessment could be backed by an effective policy Environment Monitoring Program, inclusive of Listeria monitoring, particularly in drains.

 

Do you supply directly to consumers or it goes to another processor in the supply chain (retail/Bulk-Wholesale)?

If you supply retail, packaging and documentation must reflect that the product is to be cooked before consumption. If you supply to another processor, the specifications should reflect that this is an untreated (microbial) product and the buyer understands the status of the product.



FurFarmandFork

    Food Safety Consultant, Production Supervisor

  • IFSQN Fellow
  • 1,264 posts
  • 590 thanks
206
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Oregon, USA

Posted 05 April 2018 - 05:00 PM

IFSQN has a free webinar on the subject that should help you create your program.

 

http://www.ifsqn.com...tal-monitoring/


Austin Bouck
Owner/Consultant at Fur, Farm, and Fork.
Consulting for companies needing effective, lean food safety systems and solutions.

Subscribe to the blog at furfarmandfork.com for food safety research, insights, and analysis.

Thanked by 1 Member:

Charles.C

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Moderator
  • 20,542 posts
  • 5662 thanks
1,544
Excellent

  • Earth
    Earth
  • Gender:Male
  • Interests:SF
    TV
    Movies

Posted 05 April 2018 - 07:47 PM

Hi twinkle,

 

There is a somewhat related thread here -

 

http://www.ifsqn.com...ria-prevention/

 

There are often 3 Primary causes of contamination (eg post 6 in above thread), namely -

 

1.    Raw materials
2.    Environment and equipment
3.    Personnel..

 

The typical answer to yr last paragragh is that you need an appropriate Sanitation Program. Not sure as to yr current implementation ?

 

This text is quite readable on general aspects of Listeria Control -

 

Attached File  Control and Management of L.monocytogenes Contamination of Food.pdf   1.39MB   168 downloads

 

PS - a variety of environmental monitoring programs (EMP) are attached here -

 

http://www.ifsqn.com...ls/#entry100060


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


Thanked by 3 Members:

Scampi

    Fellow

  • IFSQN Fellow
  • 5,444 posts
  • 1507 thanks
1,524
Excellent

  • Canada
    Canada
  • Gender:Not Telling

Posted 06 April 2018 - 02:52 PM

I also want to add that foods that require a kill step by the consumer should be listeria FREE.....the cook step by the consumer cannot be used as part of your listeria management policy.

If your product does contain L. monocytogenes and the consumer does not clean there kitchen well or follow handwashing etc that you have just contaminated the kitchen of said consumer who may still get sick from your product but as a result of re-contamination

 

Listeria is ever present---it can arrive on the floor of the truck that delivers your raw material and contaminate your facility......I'm am not saying it will but should be considered as part of your risk assessment particularly given the recent events in South Africa (been following the story) and the thought that the trucks used by that company may not have been cleaned appropriately and are spreading listeria far and wide.

 

I must also add that I worked at a company who had a listeria recall and wish to never go through that particular hell again. If you had the kill step at your facility I would not be this adamant.


Please stop referring to me as Sir/sirs


Thanked by 1 Member:

Twinkle

    Grade - MIFSQN

  • IFSQN Member
  • 68 posts
  • 17 thanks
6
Neutral

  • South Africa
    South Africa
  • Gender:Female

Posted 09 April 2018 - 06:29 AM

Thank you all for the help.

Will definitely be using the information here to create my documents  :happydance:





Share this


Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: listeria, policy, monocytogenes

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users