Environmental Monitoring Program Training for Food Facilities

This course covers designing and implementing an Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP) - a requirement of FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Food - starting with a determination of the pathogen of concern, based on raw materials and finished products.

Using case studies and practical examples, learn how to conduct a thorough investigation to determine that primary contamination source has been located and eliminated.

• Module 1: Sampling & zones
• Module 2: Data management & advanced investigation

• Learn how to use an EMP to verify sanitation
• Identify contact and non-contact surfaces within the hygiene zone
• Understand the steps necessary to investigate the cause and source of a positive sample and take corrective action
• Learn when and where to test for pathogens
• Create a plan specific to your organization
• Interactive workshops and discussions designed to facilitate training transfer
• Discuss available options for indicator organisms
• Understand implications for Food Contact Surface (FCS) and Non-FCS sampling
• Learn how to use baseline data and zone designations to support sampling plan design for routine monitoring and data trending
• Identify sampling results that indicate investigative sampling tactics should be used
• Learn about sanitary design principles and how to apply targeted sampling for equipment and facility layout concerns
• Learn to identify gaps in equipment design where product can become contaminated

This course is aimed at producers of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods that need to design and implement an EMP as required by the Preventive Controls for Human Food regulation in FSMA.
Past experience shows that food-borne pathogens can periodically be found in the food production environment and have caused recalls and outbreaks. While routine sanitation typically eliminates a transient contamination, at times these pathogens establish a harborage deeply hidden in the equipment or other areas within the facility. Careful monitoring of the RTE environment is critical to understanding areas of concern and developing a risk-based environmental monitoring program.

Prerequisites:
Recommended Knowledge and Skills
• Hazard Analysis
• Preventive Controls
• Basic Food Microbiology
• Food Safety Management