1 Dairy Processing Technology Centre (DPTC) (ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2557-5455 [K.A.Z.]).
2 Microbiology Laboratory, School of Natural Sciences, and.
J Food Prot. 2018 Jul;81(7):1108-1116. doi: 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-17-464.
Microbiological hazards can occur when foodstuffs come into contact with contaminated surfaces or infectious agents dispersed by air currents in the manufacturing environment. An environmental monitoring program (EMP) is a critical aspect of sustainable and safe food manufacturing used to evaluate the effectiveness of the microbial controls in place. An effective EMP should be based on risk analysis, taking into account previous sampling history to determine the selection of the sampling points, the scope of the test, and the frequency of analysis. This study involved evaluation of the environmental monitoring regime and microbiological status of a medium-sized dairy plant manufacturing food ingredients, e.g., proteins, milk powders, and dairy fats. The data specific to microbial tests ( n = 3,468), recorded across 124 fixed sampling locations over a 2-year period (2014 to 2015) from air ( n = 1,787) and surfaces ( n = 1,681) were analyzed. The aim of this study was to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the EMP in a select dairy processing plant. The results of this study outline the selection of sampling locations, the scope of the test, and the frequency of analysis. An analysis of variance revealed subsections of the manufacturing areas with high risk factors, especially the packaging subsection specified for bulk packaging, the atomizer, and the fluidized bed. The temporal and spatial analysis showed the potential to reduce or relocate the monitoring effort, most notably related to total coliforms and Staphylococcus aureus, across the dairy plant due to homogeneity across the sampling subsections with little or no deviations. The results suggest a need to reevaluate the current EMP and the corrective action plan, especially with regard to detection of pathogens. Recommendations for optimization of the EMP are presented to assist the dairy industry with reviewing and revising the control measures and hazard assessment with regard to existing contamination issues.
当食品接触到制造环境中受污染的表面或被空气流传播的传染性因子时，就会发生微生物危害。环境监测计划 (EMP) 是可持续和安全食品制造的关键方面，用于评估现有微生物控制措施的有效性。有效的 EMP 应基于风险分析，考虑到以前的采样历史，以确定采样点的选择、测试范围和分析频率。本研究涉及评估一家生产食品成分（如蛋白质、奶粉和乳脂）的中型乳制品厂的环境监测制度和微生物状况。在 2014 年至 2015 年期间，从空气（n = 1,787）和表面（n = 1,681）的 124 个固定采样点采集了特定于微生物测试的数据（n = 3,468），并记录了两年的数据。本研究的目的是突出一个选择乳制品加工厂的 EMP 的优势和劣势。本研究的结果概述了采样点的选择、测试范围和分析频率。方差分析显示了制造区域的高风险因素，尤其是用于散装包装、雾化器和流化床的包装部分。时空分析表明，由于采样部分的均匀性和很少或没有偏差，有可能减少或重新定位监测工作，特别是在整个乳制品厂的总大肠菌群和金黄色葡萄球菌方面。结果表明，需要重新评估当前的 EMP 和纠正行动计划，特别是在检测病原体方面。提出了优化 EMP 的建议，以帮助乳制品行业审查和修订现有污染问题的控制措施和危害评估。
