Hi everyone, I have a question regarding to the Environmental Monitoring Program, we divided our production into 4 zonings, Zone 1, 2, 3 are FCS and NFCS within the RTE area, while Zone 4 is NFCS remote from RTE area. For Zone 4, I have a hard to define the Zone 4 area, since for all the entrances to the production, the employees have to step into foaming footbath to sanitize their footwear and washing and sanitize their hands, I am not sure if I should include warehouse, office, lunchroom etc, into our Zone 4, where no matter what the bacteria will be killed before entering production. Can anyone share your opinions? Thanks.
Hi maylao,
Product/process is unknown other than RTE. Such info. is relevant to risk assessment / micro. targetting.
I deduce this is a wet process which often "promotes" Listeria in the EMPG.
Canada may have specific Regulatory expectations, especially for RTE.
You might compare yr situation with some appropriate examples from "expert" plans, eg some of these -
https://www.ifsqn.co...ls/#entry100060
https://www.ifsqn.co...am/#entry119334
This zone 4 comment appears in a plan for a Listeria focussed scenario (env 9) -
Typically Zone 4 monitoring is conducted less frequently or for investigational purposes. The sampling locations typically include surfaces outside the production areas in order to determine if there is a potential for Listeria spp. to be present in the non-production areas. Sampling non-production and raw areas may also help to assess the effectiveness of preventive controls between production areas with different level of risks (e.g., hallway between raw and or at-risk product areas).
and this one for a dry, Salmonella focussed situation (env 7) -
Zone 4 sites are non-PCS sites outside the processing areas. Contamination in this zone could spread to the processing area via foot or equipment traffic (eg., waste carts picking up contamination in the compactor room). Zone 4 sites should be sampled monthly for Salmonella if immediately adjacent to a production area and quarterly in other areas not directly related to production.
Edited by Charles.C, 07 November 2020 - 06:10 AM.
expanded