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Blue/Bleu Cheese mold control

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JamesMadsen

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Posted 26 February 2020 - 12:22 PM

We are a co-packager, portion packaging of cheeses and RTE meats. Topic: Packaging Blue cheese crumbles and controlling the mold proliferation to other production rooms portion packaging hard/semi-hard cheeses and RTE meats. We are concerned about the blue cheese mold becoming airborne and moving into the other process rooms. We currently run positive air pressure on the process rooms and do Cleaning/Sanitizing of each nightly.

 

Does anyone have any input on the risk of mold from the blue cheese process rooms becoming airborne and contaminating product in other  process rooms? Do I need to isolate the finished goods pack out area and negatively pressurize this area? Will we have a TNTC (too numerous to count) mold plate results?

Looking for any input or help.

 

Thank you for your time.



Brendan Triplett

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Posted 26 February 2020 - 06:57 PM

Have you done any in-house surface testing that would show that this is a risk?  Try some star-burst testing near your ducting to see if this is something that is controlled through SSOPs and segregation.  There are sample kits that you can send out to labs for analysis and units that you can get results from quickly.  Segregation by walls and/or partitions should be enough but if you have interval testing in place then you can be sure and have proof.

 

Cheers!


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nwilson

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Posted 26 February 2020 - 11:11 PM

Bleu "Blue" Cheese contains Penicillium Roqufortii mold.  This mold has a 2 week lag phase for growth, likes to proliferate at cooler temperatures (>34°F) and likes >35% moisture.  I have found this to be huge spoilage organism for baked goods.  That being said, as Brendan stated, doing some surface sampling as well as mold species testing via a mycologist, as this data would very helpful to review the level of mold in general.  You can also look into SAS air samplers that will utilize a PDA Plate.  Then you can review the air quality internally, however these are a roughly $4k investment. Positive air pressure is not ideal, a negative pressure would be, as you are pushing the 'potentially' contaminated air to other areas anytime you open the door.  Negative pressure would be better for the concern of contaminating other rooms.  Cheese is not my area of expertise, however I have done extensive research into the baking application and spoilage organisms.  Cleaning and sanitation should have a great effect on the level of mold and we have utilized fogging as another level of sanitation control, to reach overhead pipes, etc.   Start getting some testing underway and good luck! 


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JamesMadsen

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Posted 27 February 2020 - 02:04 PM

I sincerely appreciate the responses and input. I have contacted the company recommended by nwilson. Brendan, can you explain the term "star-burst" testing?  I beleive the air samplers nwilson recommended would go to a lab for analysis, but can you recommend "units that you can get results from quickly?  Thanks you again, and your time and responses are greatly appreciated.



nwilson

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Posted 27 February 2020 - 05:29 PM

I sincerely appreciate the responses and input. I have contacted the company recommended by nwilson. Brendan, can you explain the term "star-burst" testing?  I beleive the air samplers nwilson recommended would go to a lab for analysis, but can you recommend "units that you can get results from quickly?  Thanks you again, and your time and responses are greatly appreciated.

The PDA plated and SAS Air sampler will provide results in 72 hours at ambient temperature.  You can read the plates yourself and utilize them more for a qualitative results, by reviewing the mold growth types on the plates.  If you perform any species testing this can be used for iditfication of the mold types found on the plates tested.  The air samplers will pull in a designated amount of air (you can set this up for 50-500L of air) which then can be quantified to a spore count per cubic foot or cubic L.   

 

So long story short you can get fairly quick results from in house testing.  


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Brendan Triplett

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Posted 27 February 2020 - 06:49 PM

I sincerely appreciate the responses and input. I have contacted the company recommended by nwilson. Brendan, can you explain the term "star-burst" testing?  I beleive the air samplers nwilson recommended would go to a lab for analysis, but can you recommend "units that you can get results from quickly?  Thanks you again, and your time and responses are greatly appreciated.

 

Hey James,

 

Star-burst testing is a method where you conduct surface tests and whenever you hit a positive test then you burst out with several tests surrounding that positive marker.  It is a good way to lead you to the source of the contamination and will help set you up on where to place your solutions.  It is incredibly effective and is used by auditors as well when it comes to finding NCs.

 

Cheers!


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Brendan Triplett


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JamesMadsen

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Posted 27 February 2020 - 07:12 PM

Thank You for all the responses. It's been a great help. Sincerely appreciate your time to respond.


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