CFIA Listeria Testing Requirement for Ready to Eat Food
I am new to my current company, where we process ready-to-eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Our Food Safety team is thinking of implementing a program where we run the production lines for three hours, then take a sample for Listeria testing. All products produced during this period are discarded as waste. We’ve been informed that this is a CFIA requirement, and there is no way around it.
While this program is intended to meet regulatory requirements, I’m looking for more insight into what assurance it provides in preventing Listeria incidents. Specifically, how does this approach help mitigate the risk of contamination, and will it protect us if an incident occurs despite the testing?
Our current food safety program is already very strict, with timers in place to ensure proper dwell times during washing, along with comprehensive procedures for every stage from washing to packaging. For example, we are not allowed to keep any products as leftovers for the next day’s production.
I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has experience with this practice or is running a similar program. Is this approach sustainable long-term, and are there any additional measures we should consider to strengthen our food safety practices?
Thank you in advance for your insights!
ACKO,
First of all, it is a requirement of your regulatory body which is non-negotiable. No matter what, you have to adhere to it.
Secondly, this practice provides the insights into your carried over bioburden by the materials you process and listeria load on your food contact surfaces. The results would sure help you to decide and take appropriate measures downstream and if there any need of review at anywhere. Whether it is sustainable is a question I presume related to its cost factor! But do you have any option other than follow your regulatory boss's commands?
The issue is that listeria is everywhere, particularly when you start adding field crops and it LOVES your environment, cool and wet
You CANNOT get "around" regulatory requirements-------UNLESS you get permission to propose an different risk management system to NATIONAL (which I have done, but you've at least a year of work ahead of you-and zero guarantees they will accept)
The only thing you could do is create a seek and destroy plan, but that is expensive and will not change your legal obligations
I would ensure that you fully understand the Listeria program BEFORE trying to change anything