34 replies to this topic

[SHQuality]

I'm sorry but I hate this reasoning.

This reasoning leads to retesting and a negative result. What do you do with that? You then mistrust the original positive, why?

 

I was talking about a presumptive result and wondered whether the result had been confirmed. Sorry for not being more clear about that.

 

I would never suggest retesting a sample that tested positive for salmonella. Positive is positive unless you can prove -- with evidence -- that the test was performed incorrectly or that the sample was contaminated after it was taken. Generally, that is not going to happen.

[GMO]

I was talking about a presumptive result and wondered whether the result had been confirmed. Sorry for not being more clear about that.

 

I would never suggest retesting a sample that tested positive for salmonella. Positive is positive unless you can prove -- with evidence -- that the test was performed incorrectly or that the sample was contaminated after it was taken. Generally, that is not going to happen.

 

I didn't assume that was what you meant because I've had some senior people adopt that exact approach recently "we had a positive and retested but got a negative, so obviously the positive was a lab error."

[SHQuality]

I didn't assume that was what you meant because I've had some senior people adopt that exact approach recently "we had a positive and retested but got a negative, so obviously the positive was a lab error."

Fair enough.

 

Retesting until you get a negative result is just wishful thinking. It doesn't actually deal with the problem, so it's a bit worrying that some senior people would argue that point.

[LostInTheWoods]

Fair enough.

 

Retesting until you get a negative result is just wishful thinking. It doesn't actually deal with the problem, so it's a bit worrying that some senior people would argue that point.

 

Does this attitude change if the test in question is a quality risk instead of a food safety risk? Our customer's FSQ is willing to consent to resampling for shelf life micro (their idea, not ours). I actually painstakingly went through the risks that they were accepting, and they were good with it.

[SHQuality]

It depends on the details, LostInTheWoods.

If a customer insists on an action that does not involve a food safety risk, I would make them sign a document so they won't complain afterward, and be done, but not meeting shelf life can be a food safety risk itself.

[LostInTheWoods]

It depends on the details, LostInTheWoods.

If a customer insists on an action that does not involve a food safety risk, I would make them sign a document so they won't complain afterward, and be done, but not meeting shelf life can be a food safety risk itself.

Yes, they've updated their spec to include resampling, and sub-lot sampling for quality micro. Pathogens still scrap the whole lot.

[GMO]

For me it's not a very scientific approach to accept resampling whether it's a quality or pathogen issue. A single sample is not a very good representation of a lot. That's why a single sample should only really be verification.

[LostInTheWoods]

For me it's not a very scientific approach to accept resampling whether it's a quality or pathogen issue. A single sample is not a very good representation of a lot. That's why a single sample should only really be verification.

I agree, that's why I was shocked when it was suggested.

 

Our APC/Y/M specs are very tight. Ours is a novel product, and I'm not sure that the customer knows enough about it to relax it.

[GMO]

I agree, that's why I was shocked when it was suggested.

 

Our APC/Y/M specs are very tight. Ours is a novel product, and I'm not sure that the customer knows enough about it to relax it.

I'd be tempted to follow through on those released batches and validate for complaints etc. Also not sure of your product but do you test for specific spoilage organisms (as well as Y&M), e.g. pseudomonas?

[LostInTheWoods]

I'd be tempted to follow through on those released batches and validate for complaints etc. Also not sure of your product but do you test for specific spoilage organisms (as well as Y&M), e.g. pseudomonas?

It's a supply chain product only, so consumers should never interact with it and therefore not complain. It protects produce in transit between the fields and the packaging plants. The packaging process gets rid of our product. We do test for pseudomonas spp.