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