Food Protection Trends - June 2009 - 346

case 15 (n = 60, c = 0, m = 0, size = 25 g), recognizing that the absence of Salmonella cannot be achieved based on product testing alone. these general principles are considered applicable to Salmonella control for other reduced aw products such as dried dairy products and dry-mixed ingredients (such as soy-based products) in which the organism is recognized as a significant hazard. Strategies considered effective for controlling Salmonella in confectionery products (80) include an understanding of the microbial ecology in the plant, process and production control, moisture control, testing of ingredients to be added after the inactivation step, and environmental monitoring. gma member companies producing products in the low-moisture product category apply haccp principles to a wide range of products. haccp includes the following seven principles (63): 1. conduct a hazard analysis. 2. determine the critical control points (ccps). 3. establish critical limits. 4. establish monitoring procedures. 5. establish corrective actions. 6. Establish verification procedures. 7. establish record-keeping and documentation procedures. the basic concept underlying haccp is to prevent the occurrence of food safety hazards in the finished product by building safety into the process. prevention is a component of the overall food safety management system to control Salmonella in low-moisture products. one or more of the haccp principles may be applied as part of a Salmonella control program, including conducting a hazard analysis on sensitive dry-mix ingredients, establishing critical control point(s) to eliminate Salmonella, validating critical limits, establishing verification procedures and assessing the risk of post-lethality recontamination. this guidance document reflects the application of HACCP principles founded on good manufacturing practices and other prerequisite programs to minimize the risk of Salmonella contamination in low-moisture products. the product to Salmonella contamination, all or selected practices described in this guidance may be applied. this guidance is based on the best available scientific data and information, as well as collective industry experiences. it is intended to be a living document that will be updated as new information or scientific data become available. this paper highlights elements 1 and 5, both of which address measures to minimize the entry of Salmonella into a processing facility. other elements are covered in subsequent papers (19, 20). Salmonella ConTRoL ELEMEnTS contamination of low-moisture products with Salmonella is of concern in operations without an inactivation step (such as a dry-blending operation) or when contamination occurs after the inactivation step. Salmonella outbreaks associated with low-moisture products may occur because of the inclusion of contaminated raw ingredients, insufficient processing, or post-processing contamination (8). to minimize the risk of Salmonella contamination, the following seven elements should be applied to control Salmonella in low-moisture products: 1. prevent ingress or spread of Salmonella in the processing facility. 2. enhance the stringency of hygiene practices and controls in the primary Salmonella control area. 3. apply hygienic design principles to building and equipment design. 4. prevent or minimize growth of Salmonella within the facility. 5. establish a raw materials/ingredients control program. 6. Validate control measures to inactivate Salmonella. 7. Establish procedures for verification of Salmonella controls and corrective actions. these seven elements of manufacturing practices are further elaborated in three publications, of which this is the first. manufacturers of low-moisture products may consider modifying their programs where necessary, based upon this guidance. basic principles for good manufacturing practices (gmps; also referred to as good hygiene practices, ghps) have been outlined elsewhere, e.g., in the Fda cgmp regulations 21 cFr 110 (18) and the codex general principles of food hygiene (7), as are haccp principles and application guidelines (7, 52, 63, 69). this guidance is not intended to be all-encompassing or to replace basic gmps and the development of a product- and process-specific haccp plan. rather, the guidance serves to highlight practices important for control of Salmonella in low-moisture products. these guidelines may be used to develop a new food safety system or to augment an existing system already employed by a manufacturer or supplier. Salmonella ConTRoL ELEMEnT 1: PREVEnT InGRESS oR SPREAd oF Salmonella In THE PRoCESSInG FACILITY Facility maintenance, hygiene and pest control are necessary to avoid or minimize the ingress of Salmonella into the processing facility. recognized vehicles for ingress and spread of Salmonella into the processing plant include sources related to raw ingredients (e.g., raw peanuts, bottom of pallets, floor of shipping trucks), integrity and design of the facility (e.g., leak from roof, inadequate separation of pre- and post-processing areas, poor equipment design), personnel (e.g., employee clothing/shoes, improper employee hygiene), and productionrelated processes (e.g., inadequate sanitation, improper traffic patterns) (45, 62, 83). raw materials used to manufacture low-moisture products, such as spices, raw cocoa beans, raw nuts, raw peanuts, flour and cereal grains, may be a potential source of Salmonella. Surveys reported the incidence of Salmonella ranged from 0.14% to 1.32% in wheat flour (73), from 1.5% to 8.2% in untreated spice samples (65), and was 1.5% in production samples and 1.1% in retail samples of dried spices and herbs in the uK (68). employees may carry Salmonella into the facility via shoes or clothing worn outside of the plant. improper handling practices or traffic patterns, for both personnel and equipment, may also introduce Salmonella into the processing environment. other potential sources of Salmonella include pests (e.g., birds, rodents and insects are known to carry Salmonella into, and spread it in, a manufacturing facility), improper air flow (e.g., air flow from nonready-to-eat area to ready-to-eat area), poorly maintained ventilation units and employees with infections. adherence to basic gmps for the facility, personnel and incoming materials is the foundation for Salmonella control. For example, holes in the roofs of buildings should be sealed off, bird nests should be removed, and overhang structures outside the facility that may attract birds should be re-designed (42, 72). Since it is not possible to entirely prevent Salmonella from entering the facility, the raw materials handling area and other areas prior to inactivation steps should ideally be separated from the finished products handling area subsequent to the inactivation steps. a hygienic zoning concept should be applied to separate the facility into different areas, based upon their proximity to the SCoPE oF THE GuIdAnCE this guidance describes practices for the control of Salmonella when manufacturing low-moisture foods with aw below 0.85. the guidance is applicable to various products that include, but are not limited to, peanut butter, cereals, dry protein products (such as dried dairy products, soy protein, rice protein), confections (such as chocolate), snacks (such as corn chips), spices, animal feeds (both ingredients and finished products), pet foods and pet treats. depending on the susceptibility of 346 FOOD PROTECTION TRENDS | JUNE 2009

Food Protection Trends - June 2009

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