Environmental Monitoring Programme-meat/curry powder

Hi Everyone 

In our factory we have the following 

High Care Area,

Raw/Butcher Prep Area (Low Risk)

Production area where ambient curry powder is made and wet sauces (Low Risk) - to be frozen.

We are looking at doing TVC, Enteros, sampling for food contact surfaces and listeria for non food contact, floors, walls and drains etc (All within the High Care Area)

My question is, should i be doing the same in the low risk areas where non on the products are heat treated such as powders, raw meats and fish, and cold fill wet sauces)  

Many Thanks 

Martyn 

I'd do pathogen testing in your changing areas as that's where you could introduce contamination and perhaps the odd pathogen testing in drains (especially in low risk packed rather than low risk raw).  Beyond that, I'm not sure it adds value but I'm out of chilled foods (at least for now).  Any other thoughts?

The problem is that the list of potential indicators/pathogens is not short. And maybe not for the (unmentioned) High Care area either.

Have a look at the MIG manual for raw / cooked meat processors. IIRC it covers env.sampling/limits and is not that lengthy

What do you propose to do when you find positive Listeria ? :smile:

I would have a higher verification frequency in the high care room and a lower verification frequency in the low care room. What would you do if you have a positive environmental result? 

Hi Martyn, 

From the IG of section4.11.8:

The design and structure of this programme will depend on the nature of the products being handled and the potential hazards

associated with them. Sites are not expected to ‘opt out’ of this requirement by determining that they have a low-risk product or

environment; completion of a risk assessment (clause 4.11.8.1) will identify relevant hazards, suitable monitoring techniques and

appropriate monitoring frequencies.

That said, since it is very much a risk-based thing, you needn't be "doing the same" in terms of exact swabbing in your low risk area as it is exactly that. However you should include the area in your program and risk assess.

My previous site is quite similar to yours by the sounds of it; we had a low risk area for uncooked meat products, and a high risk area handling the cooked product. Our EMP for low risk was much less comprehensive than high risk in terms of frequency and testing of swabs, and we hadn't done the specific zoning as with the HR plan, just FCS and non-FCS (mono). We had no micro related issues on the v8 audit.