Food Protection Trends - September/October 2022 - 394

TABLE 2. Suggested balance of environmental samples during the investigational and
predictive stages of the environmental sampling plan development journey
Investigational phase
Sampling point
Barriers
% of samples
taken
20
Comments
Barrier samples are introduced to
the sampling plan
% of samples
taken
30
Predictive phase
Comments
The number of samples is dependent
on the number of low/high hygiene
barriers
This should include sampling the
controls of known sources and vectors
Source and vector
controls
65
Repeat sampling of potential sources
and vectors to assess their risk
40
plus additional sampling for potential
sources and vectors (in line with the
need for large sampling numbers as
indicated in stage 2 of the sampling
journey)
Collectors
5
Collector samples are introduced
to the sampling plan but at a low
level to allow source and vector
assessment
Posthygiene
10
Posthygiene sampling substantially
reduced from the initial, random
phase
20
The number is dependent on the type
of food process and the number of
potential collectors
10
The number of posthygiene samples
should always be low. Other
monitoring information may be
available, such as visual assessments,
sign-off sheets, rapid hygiene tests
* The production environment, e.g., equipment or new
build or refurbishment (which may change the ease or
difficulty of cleaning)
* The cleaning program's parameters (which may change
cleaning and disinfection performance)
* Assessment methods (which may be more cost effective
or more sensitive)
* Any sustained increase in L. monocytogenes detection
CONCLUSION
The Listeria 5-point plan has now been embedded into
Listeria training courses for the food industry (17) and,
following training, has been established into more than 10
European RTE food companies, together with PEPs, to focus
on the detection and control of Listeria sources and (product
and environmental) vectors.
The majority of the companies who have adopted the
concept of the 5-point plan were already proactive in the
management of Listeria in their sites and, thus, already had
low rates of Listeria detection in food products and the
environment. For companies starting on their Listeria control
394 Food Protection Trends September/October
journey, the focus of the PEP has been to identify and control
the major Listeria environmental sources and vectors, and the
plan has been found to reduce Listeria environmental isolation
levels to 1% or below. Some success has also been achieved
in reducing the prevalence of Listeria in product and the
environment, particularly when Listeria environmental levels
were, on occasions, high (5% or greater).
For companies that were already working to Listeria incidence
levels of best practice, value has been seen in reducing
the incidence of sustained Listeria isolations in the environment,
primarily due to more attention given to the development,
control, and sampling of high hygiene area barriers
to prevent the entrance of Listeria. These companies also
managed to reduce their environmental sampling numbers and
costs, while still maintaining effective Listeria control.
Comments from the factories using the 5-point plan suggest
that it has been useful in three main areas. First, bringing
together existing and new prerequisites and their controls into
one plan has allowed them to better focus on Listeria control
and demonstrate this to interested external stakeholders.
Second, when companies have had Listeria incidences, the
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