Food safety hazards in retail outlets

Hi ,

Mine is a retail outlet chain in Bahrain and we are certified with ISO 22000: 2005. We are conducting random food testing (microbial test only) on monthly  basis. Do we need to conduct test for microbial toxins  as well. In our recent re-certification audit, our auditor pointed out that we must conduct microbial toxin, pesticide test etc along with microbiological tests.

All our in fresh food items are manufactured in-house so there is no chance for pesticide issue in food and our suppliers are approved suppliers.

So do we still need to conduct pesticide test and also if the microbial test is within the limits do we need microbial toxin test (we follow GSO standards for the microbial limits.

This is our 3rd re-certification audit and in any of the previous audits this was not raised as an issue by the auditor.

Hi Sawad,

In my opinion, you should test your products for pesticides and mycotoxins, though you have approved them based on your company criteria. Only microbiological analysis will not assure you of the mycotoxins absence in your products. If your products are plant based then you need to test them for these two tests.

Regards

Mahantesh

Different auditors pick up on different things, and indeed even the same auditor can notice something they missed during previous visits, so the absence of a previous issue being raised doesn't necessarily demonstrate that an approach is acceptable.

I agree with Mahantesh that your own monitoring program would be a sensible move here - I'd put together a schedule based on risk assessment as you can certainly factor in your suppliers' approval status, evidence of any testing they're doing (if they can provide pesticide, mycotoxin results etc then this is potentially very useful), the nature of the raw materials etc. and implement some analysis accordingly.

I'm sure that I'm not the only forum member who has found unacceptable pesticide and/or mycotoxin levels in product from an approved supplier, so the approval alone doesn't guarantee an absence of problems ;)

 

 

 

All our in fresh food items are manufactured in-house so there is no chance for pesticide issue in food and our suppliers are approved suppliers.

 

 

Sawad - I agree with the other posters here.

It is good that you have faith in your suppliers, but for agricultural commodities nobody tests every item, every time, it would be too expensive to do this as a full pesticide screen costs $400-$500.

Fruit & vegetables are non homogenous loads (unlike a tanker of milk) so the sample your supplier selects for testing might not be the batch you receive.

I work in produce & we buy from suppliers around the world, these are known, audited & trusted suppliers but nevertheless there are occasional pesticide failures.

You don't have to test every delivery but recommend you compile a testing matrix (risk, ingredient, volume, supplier performance) determine the risk level and do this testing on a survey basis to keep your testing costs at a minimum?.

Hi Sawad,

Logically it's all about risk assessment. And the specific Products.

Presumably yr iso22000 necessitated you to assess the risks/hazards in yr raw materials.

Subsequently to HACCP, It's a Time-Tested Principle - Trust (Approved Suppliers) but (Occasionally) Verify.