Substantiation Listeria Monocytogenes
Hi!
I hope someone can help me here!
I am an intern at a small vegetable processor. Our products are mainly cut vegetables, which will be heated.
However we do have some (fruit)salads.
We were advised to write a substantiation on the prevention of growth of Listeria Monocytogenes (and EHEC/STEC) as the Dutch government (or the European Union) has tightened the rules for processors.
I am planning on making an excel file with the products concerned (as the other products will be eliminated through the decision tree taken from the information leaflet from the NVWA or Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority)
To make a decision about the products I need the following information:
- Water activity
- pH value
- Dry matter
Does anyone have a reliable source where I can find estimates of the information I need? Or should the products be tested on these points to get the information.
Thank you in advance for your help!
Dutch777
I don't have direct help from you, but you might consider just washing all of your ready to eat fruits in a fruit wash like: https://www.ecolab.c...table-treatment
Hi!
I hope someone can help me here!
I am an intern at a small vegetable processor. Our products are mainly cut vegetables, which will be heated.
However we do have some (fruit)salads.
We were advised to write a substantiation on the prevention of growth of Listeria Monocytogenes (and EHEC/STEC) as the Dutch government (or the European Union) has tightened the rules for processors.
I am planning on making an excel file with the products concerned (as the other products will be eliminated through the decision tree taken from the information leaflet from the NVWA or Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority)
To make a decision about the products I need the following information:
- Water activity
- pH value
- Dry matter
Does anyone have a reliable source where I can find estimates of the information I need? Or should the products be tested on these points to get the information.
Thank you in advance for your help!
Dutch777
Hi Dutch,
If you are seeking Aw and pH values of certain fruits this is i think available (compiled) in the literature. But you need to specify which fruits, etc.
By "dry matter" do you mean Moisture Content (> Aw) ? if so, do you mean via hot-air oven ca 100degC?
Are you attempting to validate that L.mono will not grow in "these" items. ???
What do you mean by "tightened the rules" ?
http://www.pickyouro...tables_list.htm
http://www.webpal.or...ng/lacf-phs.htm
aw1.pdf 1.03MB 15 downloads
aw 2.pdf 10.8KB
10 downloads
I don't have direct help from you, but you might consider just washing all of your ready to eat fruits in a fruit wash like: https://www.ecolab.c...table-treatment
Any help is welcome though, thank you!
I followed the link, however on the Dutch website it is not listed. They may sell it, but it says to contact them. I'll present the idea to the company.
Hi Dutch,
If you are seeking Aw and pH values of certain fruits this is i think available (compiled) in the literature. But you need to specify which fruits, etc.
By "dry matter" do you mean Moisture Content (> Aw) ? if so, do you mean via hot-air oven ca 100degC?
Are you attempting to validate that L.mono will not grow in "these" items. ???
What do you mean by "tightened the rules" ?
Thanks for your reply!
What literature, specifically? When I type in pH 'certain vegetable', I get the pH for when you're growing the vegetable in your garden, with no (reliable) sources.
A website in Dutch pointed to a prediction model with a lot of articles, called ComBase. I find it hard to navigate though. Most articles involve a specified atmosphere we will never use.
I'm not sure about the dry matter. I checked the information leaflet again, and it said nothing about dry matter actually. It mentioned Water Phase Salt content however?
Yes, with this document we are proving that either our products are not ready-to-eat (will be heated beforehand); are not suitable for L. mono to grow in or have a shorter use before date (which we will bring back to 4 days, for example).
They tightened the rules (it may be a Dutch phrase I translated incorrectly) as in before 2017, they did not need a validation document for prevention of the growth.
addendum
see the links/files added in post 3
are the products stored chilled ? ie approx 2-5 degC
addendum
see the links/files added in post 3
are the products stored chilled ? ie approx 2-5 degC
Thank you!
Yes they are stored up to 7 degrees Celsius
addendum 2
this is typical UK reference document -
BRC-CFA-FSA - Shelf-life RTE food in relation to L.mono - Handleiding voor producenten - Engels.pdf 568.19KB 13 downloads
I assume these items are not vac.pack or MAP ?
addendum 3
this document details the validation (Aw,pH etc) of decision tree in document of addendum 2 -
BRC_CFA_Micro_Criteria_Guidance_Ed_1.2.pdf 1.54MB 11 downloads
eg see Pages 16 et seq
addendum 2
this is typical UK reference document -
BRC-CFA-FSA - Shelf-life RTE food in relation to L.mono - Handleiding voor producenten - Engels.pdf
I assume these items are not vac.pack or MAP ?
That's the (almost) exact document I meant :D
The products are not vac.packed or MAP, no
Thank you for your help. I have some literature to continue with my validation.