7 replies to this topic

[Faith S]

Good Day experts,

 

We are a tea blending and packing company and the tea will be consumed after steeping the tea leaves/bags in boiling water.Would detection of salmonella in the tea leaves warrant a recall?

[SQFconsultant]

Yes.

[Charles.C]

Good Day experts,

 

We are a tea blending and packing company and the tea will be consumed after steeping the tea leaves/bags in boiling water.Would detection of salmonella in the tea leaves warrant a recall?

 

Process ?

 

Finished product ?

 

Sampling / Salmonella Methodology ? Validated ?

[Faith S]

(a) Process ?- We receive dried tea leaves which we  blend and then pack.

 

(b) Finished product ? Raw material.and in process products.

 

(c) Sampling / Salmonella Methodology ? Validated ? testing done by a third party laboratory which is ISO 17025 accredited.

[Charles.C]

Hi F.semwayo,

 

Thks for reply.

 

So what was the Methodology in (c)(Post 4) ?

 

eg -

 

How many samples tested for Salmonella ? From raw material, or finished packed product, or ?

 

Sample(s?) with positive result = raw material ? or Finished Product ? or Both ? or ?

 

Procedure for Salmonella = ? (eg, as per BAM or ?)

 

Has the Process being running for long time with routine testing for Salmonella and  no Positive sample detections ?.

 

Does raw material only come from one source or many ? If many, do you mix them all together so no idea of labelled identity in finished product?

 

Reason for questions is to attempt to evaluate reliability and Lot magnitude of any positive result(s) and any possibility to isolate the problem if  genuine positive result occurs.

 

Before recalling, you could do a re-sample if material from same Production as problem lot still accessible but any benefit  may depend on (legal?) factors such as noted above.

[The Food Scientist]

You need to bare in mind that some consumers may NOT use boiled water, or water that is too hot to kill Salmonella. And also having the tea around RTE foods may cause cross-contamination. You need to also bare in mind if this tea was introduced in your plant/opened/processed...etc which may cause a cross-contamination issue in your plant. So my answer? YES.

[Ryan M.]

Some customers may not use heated water at all and steep it cold.

As such, this is part of your customer use hazard analysis for the product.  It should be pathogen free.

[Konstantinos]

Recall, yes. Place on hold everything and follow crisis management situation, bring all management, sales and QA people in.

 

- Plan of re-testing throughout the internal suply chain (=pakcing facilities) is required in case of contamination of the sample by the operarive handling the sample.

- Enviromental swabbing within your packing facility.

Also as previous writers mentioned, product tea bag might be touched by bare hands of the consumer, placed in the cup, being submerged in boliing water but the hands of the consumer will still remain contaminated spraying the bacteria everywhere.

 

May I mention that it happens to all companies.