Getting Value from Your Environmental Monitoring Data

Sanitation is another key prerequisite program that can be improved based on the results of EMPs. If elevated levels of indicators are found during pre-op sampling, the sanitation practices can be changed to fix the problem. Examples include retraining of personnel, changing types or concentrations of detergents or sanitizers, modifying water conditions (hardness), changing water pressure or temperature, or increasing the frequency of sanitation. These same changes can also be implemented in response to finding pathogens in a pathogen EMP.

Hygienic design improvements can be made (and the capital expense justified) by the EMP results. Equipment design has been greatly improved as industries have identified growth niches or harborage points within equipment. Elimination of difficult-to-clean areas, such as hollow support structures, hollow conveyor rollers, door gasket material, conduits, poorly sealed control panels, etc., have helped eliminate environmental pathogen problems, and have secondary benefits, such as reduced spoilage issues and more efficient cleaning and sanitation. Designing equipment with integrated clean-in-place sanitation systems, or access points that can be reached without the use of special tools, has also led to great improvements. In addition to equipment, the facility itself can be improved through better hygienic zoning, air flow changes, and the prevention of moisture or pests, etc.

Results of EMPs have also led to changes in products being produced. Changing products at high risk for environmental pathogen issues to those at low risk can be the most bulletproof way to reduce the overall public health risk. For example, the reformulation of RTE meat and poultry products with listeriostatic antimicrobials, such as lactate and diacetate, has moved many of these products into a lower risk status by preventing the growth of Listeria during shelf life.

Finally, the EMP itself can be improved based on the EMP results. In fact, EMPs should always evolve as our knowledge about the pathogen, product, process, and facility evolve. When an EMP, process, product, or facility is new, the EMP needs to be rather extensive because the EMP team will be exploring, looking for where potential problem areas might be. With the collection of months’ or years’ worth of data, the EMP can be fine-tuned, moving from reactionary to preventive. Often this means that individual samples can be better optimized to give the most value. Positives should become very rare, and when found, they are welcomed as a way to improve the system.

Dr. Freier is vice president for scientific affairs, microbiology, at Mérieux NutriSciences and has published several refereed journal articles, book chapters, and patents, and given numerous presentations on various food safety-related topics. Reach him at [email protected].