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Very Small Plant Listeria Audits
Audit of Post-Lethality
Environment of Very Small Processing Plants for Listeria Species
Dennis R. Buege and Steven C.
Ingham
Extension Meat Science and
Extension Food Safety Program – University of Wisconsin-Madison
Purpose of Audit: Prevention
of post-lethality contamination of RTE meat and poultry products by the
environmental pathogen,
Listeria monocytogenes, has become a high priority for the industry and those
agencies
which regulate it. In October
2004 a USDA FSIS rule went into affect directing plants to sample food contact
surfaces in their
post-lethality environment at a frequency dependent on how RTE products are
formulated and
handled. From 2004 in-state
training sessions for “very small” plants focusing on prevention of Listeria
contamination of products and
implementation of the Listeria rule, it was readily apparent that the vast
majority
of such plants had never
conducted any environmental monitoring for this pathogen in their operations.
The
purpose of this audit was to
sample food contact and non-food contact surfaces in the post-lethality
environment
to determine if and where
Listeria contamination was a problem in smaller-scale plants.
Benefit of Audit to
Smaller-Scale Plants: The results of this audit of smaller-scale plants provides
operators
with a snapshot of the Listeria
status of the post-lethality environment over a wide range of plants. Knowing
where this pathogen is likely
to be found in operations similar to their own will aid processors in addressing
the
challenge of controlling
Listeria in the post-lethality environment. As this information was being
collected it
was shared with the
participating plants and our state industry in general to provide just this type
of assistance.
How Audit Was Conducted:
Between January and September, 2004, 31 State-Inspected and FSIS-Inspected
Wisconsin smaller-scale plants
were sampled for the presence of Listeria species in their post-lethality
environments (438 food contact
and non-food contact surface samples collected). Plants were invited to
participate and arrangements
were made to sample when the handling and packaging of RTE product was taking
place. In a few instances
production was not going on at the time of sampling, but samples were still
collected
from key locations. Where
possible, as large a surface sample as possible was collected with commercially
available pre-moistened sterile
sponges to detect the possible presence of the pathogen. Usually the surface
area
sampled far exceeded the one
square foot sampling area recommended in the FSIS Listeria rule. Collected
samples were held under
refrigeration and delivered to a commercial microbiological testing laboratory
within
24 hours, for determination of
Listeria species only. Results were shared with participating plants after they
became available.
Findings of the Audit: An
accompanying table summarizes the findings of the this audit. Three and one half
percent of food contact
surfaces were positive for Listeria species. Positive samples were found on
slicers used
for wholesale products (2/23),
surfaces of packaging tables/carts (2/36), the internal cavity of chamber vacuum
packaging equipment (1/17) and
tubs or lugs which held RTE product (1 of 29). Because Listeria is so widely
distributed in the environment,
it is very unlikely that it would never be found in even very sanitary
environments. The relatively
low incidence found on food contact surfaces suggests these plants are doing
reasonably well in sanitation
and employee practices which directly affect the RTE product. The two positive
samples found on wholesale
product slicer were both from clean slicers not in use at the time of sampling.
This
points to the difficulty in
cleaning that piece of equipment. In addition to thorough breakdown and cleaning
of
slicers, it is recommended that
slicers and other post-lethality food contact surfaces be re-sanitized directly
before use when such equipment
is not used every day (frequently the case with small establishments).
The audit results on non-food
contact surfaces reveals a particularly high rate of incidence on floors and
drains.
This has been reported before
for larger plants, but serves as a strong admonishment for smaller plants to pay
close attention to these areas.
Floor and drains will always have a
higher rate of incidence than food contact
surfaces, and fortunately
floor and drains are somewhat removed from
direct product contact. However, the
frequent presence of
Listeria organisms in floors and drains does create an ever-present potential
threat of cross
contamination to food
contact surfaces in the post-lethality environment. It is recommended that
processors
work with sanitation
suppliers to develop a sound floor and drain
sanitation program if they don’t already have
one in place.
Such a program may include more routine scrubbing of floors and drains,
application of high
levels quat sanitizers (800+
ppm – leaves an active residue), limiting use of high pressure hoses (which
create
aerosols which transport
bacteria) and altering/limiting employee foot traffic where possible.
Listeria,
E Coli, increase meat plant scrutiny
By EMILY GERSEMA
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Agriculture Department warned meat
companies Monday that it will increase testing of plants for listeria unless
they do it themselves and share the results with the government.
The department told its food safety inspectors to
start conducting the tests Dec. 9 at plants that have not done such inspections.
Inspectors will target plants that process meats considered at high or medium
risk of becoming poisoned with listeria, such as deli meat and hot dogs, said
Elsa Murano, the department’s undersecretary for food safety.
Processors are required to test their products for the bacterium, but not their
plants and equipment. Some plants do their own environmental tests, but they
haven’t had to show the results to the government.
“What inspectors will do is this intensified testing – environmental testing
– in those plants that do not do their own environmental testing or that
don’t share their data with us,” Murano said.
The directive was issued in response to an outbreak
of listeriosis in the Northeast that sickened 52 people, killing seven. The
disease can cause flu-like symptoms, including nausea and diarrhea. It is
especially dangerous for pregnant women, young children, the elderly and people
with weak immune systems.
A month ago, investigators found identical strains of the listeria that caused
the outbreak in a floor drain at the Wampler Foods plant in Franconia, Pa., and
in a sample of deli meat from a J.L. Foods plant in New Jersey.
The investigation prompted Wampler Foods to recall more than 27 million pounds
of ready-to-eat chicken and turkey meat, and J.L. Foods recalled 200,000 pounds
of poultry meat. Both plants reopened last week after the government gave them
clean bills of health.
Had the directive been in place before the investigation, the government might
have traced the outbreak much sooner than it did, Murano said.
Wampler Foods did not share the results of its
environmental tests with inspectors, forcing them to rely on product tests.
“One can never be sure, but it certainly would have helped us have that
information and be able to perhaps ascertain that maybe there’s a potential
problem there,” Murano said.
Murano said the department will continue to use results from listeria testing of
plants and equipment to order recalls if they find contaminated meat.
Consumer groups said the directive is one step toward preventing listeria from
sickening people.
“It’s good that the plants are testing,” said Caroline Smith DeWaal,
director of food safety for the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
“But it’s not enough if they don’t share the results and take proper
corrective action.”
Although the directive is meant to encourage processors to start environmental
testing programs, some companies may not find it worthwhile because the
department already conducts such tests, said Jenny Scott, senior director of
food safety for the National Food Processors Association.
“Some will say, ‘I’ll take my chances with the agency’s testing,’”
Scott said.
Smith DeWaal said the Agriculture Department could require processors to test
plant environments for listeria by finalizing a rule drafted during the Clinton
administration.
She said the agency has delayed the rule for too long.
“I think consumers have paid a horrible price for the delay,” Smith DeWaal
said.
Murano said the department must finish studying ways that listeria can taint
meat in plants before approving the regulation. The study will be finished by
December 2003, she said.
It is taking so long to finish because the department wants a listeria testing
rule that will be effective, not one that amounts to window-dressing,” Murano
said.
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