World Food Safety Day- 7th June 2019

World Food Safety Day- 7th June 2019.

United Nation is creating the Food safety awareness to the public by celebrating World Food Safety Day.

The first ever World Food Safety Day (WFSD) will be celebrated on 7 June 2019 to draw attention and inspire action to help prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks, contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development.

The UN recognizes food safety On 20 December 2018 the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 73/250 proclaiming a World Food Safety Day. Starting in 2019, every 7 June will be a time to celebrate the myriad benefits of safe food.

Facts and figures:

• An estimated 600 million – almost 1 in 10 people in the world – fall ill after eating contaminated food and 420 000 die every year.
• Children under 5 years of age carry 40 percent of the foodborne disease burden, with 125 000 deaths every year
• Foodborne illnesses are usually infectious or toxic in nature and caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances entering the body through contaminated food or water.
• Foodborne diseases impede socioeconomic development by straining health care systems, and harming national economies, tourism and trade.
• The value of trade in food is US$ 1.6 trillion, which is approximately 10 percent of total annual trade globally.

References:

1. http://www.fao.org/3/ca4449en/ca4449en.pdf
2. https://prashantchaturvedi.com/world-food-safety-day/

Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP) for Food Production Industry

Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP) for Food Production Industry

Environmental monitoring is an essential program for facilities, especially in food manufacturing sites that handle microbiologically sensitive foods. EMP reduces the risks of cross-contamination and product recalls. EMP is required to mitigate inherent food safety risks and ensure regulatory compliance.

Sanitation:

In the food production facilities are doing sanitation like "cleaning In the Place- CIP" and "cleaning Out of Place-COP".Effectiveness of the microbial sanitation is determined by ATP and Microbial testing.As per the requirement of advanced food safety certification systems like BRC, SQF; Environmental Monitoring Program is very much required. You are required to perform environmental sampling and identify the potential biological hazard of pathogen contamination at post lethality exposed steps.

Environmental Monitoring:

Microbes are vary from the one to another food facility, any have, Listeria Monocytogenes and Salmonella are the first to consider but there could be more such as Staphylococcus Aureus, E. coli, coliforms, and more. 

The environmental sampling program should identify four zones for potential sampling in high risk areas. Zone 1 includes food contact surfaces. Zone 2 includes indirect food contact surfaces such as equipment framework and indirect employee protective clothing. Zone 3 includes environmental areas inside high-risk processing areas such as floors, walls, drains, ceilings and refrigeration units. Zone 4 includes environmental areas in non-production areas such as break areas and hallways.

Zone 1 and 2 are highly important then the zones 3 and 4. Zone 1 and 2 is highly related to the food recall.

The sampling point,no of samples and frequency of sampling should be determined based on the regulatory agencies requirements.

Positive results and Corrective actions:

If the positive results are occurs, thrice sampling should be done for the analysis to ensure the results.Root cause analysis to be made to find out the reason of microbial contamination and intensified sanitation to be made.Data must be generated and reviewed for the prevention of any cross contamination in feature.

Recommendations:

1. Microbial monitoring plan to be developed based on the riskiness of the food production/processing, in particularly ready-to-eat (RTE) foods category.
2. Senior management's involvement, co-operation and budget allocation to be much required. 

References:

1. https://www.sqfi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Module-2-Manufacturing-Guidance-with-cover.pdf
2. https://www.fda.gov/media/102633/download