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Environmental Monitoring Program

An Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP) is a systematic way of testing the food production environment, including all food contact surfaces, for potential contamination. It is a key step in a well-developed Food Safety Program. 

This step is quite often underestimated, as we see many product recalls being traced to the environment of production. A well-considered and delivered EMP is the best front-line defense against product safety failure. It would be far less costly than a single product recall.

Major global standards such as BRCGS require a well-designed EMP to measure the effectiveness of a current food safety plan in facilities. EMPs can also be necessary to meet local and international regulations.

Why is it Important to Monitor the Environment of Production? 

  • To detect potential pathogen intrusion in the manufacturing environment;
  • To identify variations in process indicators on food contact and non-food contact surfaces;
  • To implement corrective actions or preventive measures based on data.

What are Key Aspects of the Environmental Monitoring Program?

  • Defining the manufacturing environment perimeter and establishing proper zoning: Zone 1 is for the areas in direct contact with the product at most sensitive points, while Zone 4 is a non-food area. 
  • Defining criteria for a standard monitoring vs. a reinforced monitoring vs. an investigation process: in case of product non-conformity, new equipment, etc. 
  • Identifying ecological niches: places with higher risk of strains proliferation (i.e. all difficult to access/clean surfaces); 
  • Planning relevant controls, with the appropriate frequency and the right number of samples, depending on the risk level;
  • Developing a reliable sampling process with detailed location information and observations to generate reliable data; 
  • Getting exploitable data from your EMP to take actions.

Our Solutions for a Reliable Environmental Monitoring Program

Design

Our Food Safety Consultants help with the identification of hotspots in your manufacturing areas, based on analytical data and a mapping of your process and flow. They will accompany you to build a reliable EMP, aligned with your risk assessment, recurring incidents and safety issues already encountered. 

The outcome of this designing phase is a clear planning of when to sample, with a detailed map of critical locations to sample, frequency of sampling & number of samples. 

With a tool like EnviroMap, all these parameters can be easily integrated and your program can be optimized dynamically.

Perform

Routinely, our auditors will perform: 

  • A routine environmental sampling with surface swabs;
  • An assessment of your cleaning and sanitation procedures performance;
  • Air and water monitoring (if planned in the EMP). 

All the samples will be tested at Mérieux Nutrisciences’ laboratories for more reliable results and to prevent risk of cross-contamination, thanks to our High Quality Standards in all our laboratories, worldwide.

Take Actions

EMPs allow early detection of the contaminations and their root cause. A mapping of the evolution of your hotspots helps you anticipate risks for your product’s safety and take preventive measures. 

A tool like EnviroMap is especially useful in that purpose: the mapping of environmental test results within the plant enables the detection of early signs of contamination.

Our Portfolio of Specific Solutions

Having an effective environmental monitoring program with a comprehensive sampling plan is crucial to ensure food safety. Contact us to discuss your needs and develop a customized EMP.

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