Environmental Monitoring

"Cleaning and sanitizing of utensils and equipment shall be conducted in a manner that protects against contamination of food, food-contact surfaces, or food packaging materials.” CFR 21, part 110.35

Environmental monitoring is essential to confirm that utensils, equipment and the food processing plant as a whole are being maintained in a clean and sanitary condition.

Food contact surfaces should be checked periodically for the presence of indicator organisms such as coliform, or other Enterobacteriaceae. This should be done in addition to ATP monitoring to detect possible low level contamination by pathogenic microorganisms. Any positive results are cause for a thorough review of cleaning and sanitizing procedures.

• Contact plates help monitor flat surfaces, containers, employee fingers and more.
• Swabs allow for testing of irregular surfaces, such as nozzles and utensils.

Floors, drains, walls and condensate pans may become harborages for pathogenic and food spoilage microorganisms. These can become airborne on dust particles and water droplets which settle on food contact surfaces. Periodic monitoring of these surfaces using collection devices can alert plant personnel to the need for preemptive measures, which will prevent product contamination.

• Use sponges to sample large areas, such as walls and overheads.
• Transport swabs are ideal for collecting and mailing environmental samples.
• The Pathogel water test can detect organisms in standing water and condensate.

Air quality is probably the best index of the overall sanitary condition of the plant. It is used by quality auditors during preliminary plant surveys to evaluate suppliers and by sanitation consultants to detect sources of contamination. Records of ongoing air quality monitoring are invaluable for early detection of unsafe environmental conditions throughout the plant and in critical processing and packaging areas.

• Air exposure plates are widely used to monitor air quality in unrestricted food plant areas.
• Battery powered devices provide accurate results for restricted, clean room areas.

Laboratory accessories must be suitable for preparing, incubating and reading plates containing environmental samples. Incubators, magnifying light boxes, and Electronic Pipettors, made especially for 3M ™ Petrifilm™ Plates, are low cost reliable alternatives to traditional laboratory equipment. Disposable dilution blanks, pipets and sample preparation bags significantly reduce labor costs compared to reusable products.

• Use the proper lab accessories to prepare, incubate and read environmental plates.

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