Food Quality Check Program
Food Quality Check ProgramMicrobiological Recommendations andSampling Schedule2015Food Laboratory,Environmental MicrobiologyBC Public Health Microbiology & Reference LaboratoryPrepared: 24 Dec 20141
Food Quality Check ProgramMicrobiological Recommendations and Sampling ScheduleTable of Contents:1. General Information . 3Microbiological Analysis . 3Special Surveys. 42. Sampling Requirements . 4Types of Foods Appropriate for Food Quality Testing . 4Containers for Sampling and Submission . 4Requisition Form . 53. Food and Environmental Surfaces Sampling Procedures . 5Food . 5Environmental Surfaces . 54. Storage and Transportation of Samples . 65. Significance of Aerobic Colony Count and Indicator Bacteria . 7Aerobic Colony Count . 7Food Categories . 8Category 1 . 8Category 2 . 8Category 3 . 8Total Coliforms . 9Fecal Coliforms . 9E. coli . 96. Microbiological Recommendations for Ready-to-eat Foods . 10Aerobic Colony Count . 10Indicator Organisms . 10Pathogen Tests . 10Supplementary Tests . 10Aerobic Colony Count Recommendations for Environmental Surfaces . 107. STAT Reports . 118. Reference Material . 119. Contact Information . 12Appendix A . 132015 Food Quality Check Program Schedule. 14Prepared: 24 Dec 20142
Food Quality Check ProgramSchedule for 2015 and Revised Information1. General InformationThe Food Quality Check Program is primarily intended to be a proactive initiativefor Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) to educate their operators on thehazards associated with poor food handling practices.The program provides EHOs with an objective measurement to assess the level ofsanitation in food premises and to provide information which aim to correct poorfood handling practices and ultimately prevent food poisoning incidents fromoccurring. The Food Quality Check Program is not intended to replace samplingassociated with foodborne illnesses. However, if a food poisoning incident occursand no leftover food is available for examination, the EHO can utilize this programto inspect food quality/sanitation from the implicated premises.Health Authorities are permitted to submit a total of 20 samples/week as per theprearranged schedule and these can be any combination of ready-to-eat foodand/or environmental surface swab/sponge samples.Under special circumstances, the laboratory may be able to accommodate theHealth Authority that wishes to sample outside of their allocated sampling week orwishes to exceed the 20 samples/week limits. Please consult with the laboratoryfor preauthorization prior to submitting such samples.When situations warrant, the laboratory can also provide special tests such aswater activity, pH and pathogen testing relating to foodborne disease investigationor food control. Again, approval must be obtained prior to submission of samples.Microbiological AnalysisMicrobiological analysis carried out for approved samples includes:Screening for indicator bacteria:- Total Coliforms- Fecal Coliforms- E. coli- Aerobic Colony Count (ACC)3
Only Aerobic Colony Count will be performed on submitted environmentalsurface samples such as sponges or swabs. Additional special tests may be requested (and must be approved prior tosubmission) as circumstances warrant:- pH and aw- Foodborne pathogens (e.g., E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella species,Campylobacter species, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus,Clostridium perfringens, Listeria monocytogenes, or others).Special SurveysSpecial surveys and other projects may be carried out with prior agreement andjoint planning with the Food Laboratory.2. Sampling Requirements Submit all samples according to the prearranged schedule. Contact the Food Laboratory for approval before submitting any unscheduledor additional samples. Contact the Food Laboratory before submitting samples for pH, wateractivity or culture for foodborne pathogens.Types of Foods Appropriate for Food Quality Testing All ready-to-eat foods (cooked and raw) including:- Solid- Liquid- Dry- Frozen- CannedContainers for Sampling and Submission1. Sterile Food Microbiology jars provided by BC Public Health Microbiology &Reference Laboratory.2. Sterile whirl-pak bags with wire closure.3. Food samples can be shipped in the original packaging as long as it is airtight and will not leak during transit. If not, transfer to either a sterile FoodMicrobiology jar or whirl-pak bag.4
4. Sponges and swabs for environmental surface sampling in sterile bags ortransport tubes.Requisition Form Every sample must be accompanied by a completed Food Quality SamplingRequisition form. Complete all applicable fields on the requisition. Incomplete or improperlyfilled out information can affect result interpretation and data analysis. Hard copies of the Food Quality Check Sample Requisition form can beordered from the laboratory by submitting the Sample Container Order formor downloaded from the BC Public Health Microbiology & Reference Labwebsite.3. Food and Environmental Surfaces Sampling ProceduresFood1. Take representative samples aseptically with sterile implements (knife,spoon, tongs, spatula, etc.) and place them in sterile Food Microbiology jarsor other sterile, leak proof containers.2. Sample at least 200 grams of food for microbiological analysis.3. Label the sample container legibly.Environmental Surfaces1. Wash hands before sampling.2. Label the outside of the tube/bag with a description of the surface sampled.3. If the sponge or swab is dry, pour vial containing sterile buffer into the bagcontaining the swab or sponge and allow to rehydrate.4. Put on a disposable glove and remove the sponge or swab aseptically.5. SPONGE: Drag sponge (with excess liquid gently squeezed out) across adefined area (preferably 30 cm x 30 cm) using a back and forth motion toentirely cover the area. Repeat perpendicular to the first sampling in thesame area.SWAB: Moisten swab and press against container to express excess liquid.Using a slight rolling motion, sample a 10 cm x 10 cm area. After the grid isdone, place swab back in liquid and shake gently in the liquid. Express5
excess liquid into vial before repeating as follows: repeat twice, onceperpendicular and once more diagonal to the first same area sampled.6. Place sponge or swab in original whirl-pak bag or vial and close tightly.Discard glove.7. Enclose a completed Food Quality Check Sample Requisition form with everysample and note the area sampled. Results will be reported in cfu/sponge orcfu/swab.4. Storage and Transportation of Samples Samples should be delivered to the laboratory as soon as possible aftercollection. Refrigerate perishable foods which are not frozen at time of collection at4 C. Shelf stable foods should be stored in a dry location. Frozen samples should be stored as close to the temperature at which theywere sampled and shipped under proper conditions to maintain temperature. Send samples by courier and use refrigeration (e.g. Cooler containing icepacks). Shipping by mail is not recommended. The Food Laboratory is able to accept Food Quality Samples five days a weekbut would prefer samples to be submitted Monday through Wednesday. Byspecial arrangement the laboratory will be able to receive samples onweekends. Please consult the laboratory prior to shipping.6
5. Significance of Aerobic Colony Count and Indicator BacteriaAerobic Colony CountAerobic Colony Count (ACC) is defined as the total number of bacteria able togrow in an oxygenated or aerobic environment. It is one of the most commontests applied to indicate the microbial quality, not safety, of food.The significance of ACC can vary according to the type of food product and theprocessing it has received. A good understanding of the product type isimportant in order to fully interpret ACC especially given the diversity of foodproducts and production methods used in BC.When sampling, notes should be made on the requisition form about theproduct to indicate if the food consists of only fully cooked ingredients orcontains a mixture of cooked and raw ready-to-eat components. Knowing whatingredients a food is comprised of, as well as cooking or preparation steps willhelp to determine proper interpretation of the test results. Another factor toconsider is the shelf-life of the product since foods sampled close to their shelflife will likely have an ACC approaching the upper limit.Aerobic colony count results are not applicable to raw ready-to-eat foods, suchas fruits and vegetables, cultured products or fermented foods as these foodswill inherently have a high count. Foods that are produced by adding starterbacteria will generally not have a significant count of other bacteria mainly dueto the acidity produced during the fermentation. Fruits and vegetables whichare not cooked before consumption are expected to have bacterial organismspresent from the environment that they are grown in and as such will have ahigh aerobic colony count. For other foods, elevated counts of ACC may be dueto: the food being past its shelf life inadequate processing or post(code)processing contamination such aspoor sanitationpoor food handling or hygienenon-hygienic packaging materialspracticesWhen sampling foods it is important to consider that comparing a series ofresults for ACC over time is more valuable than assessing a single sample.7
Food CategoriesTo properly interpret ACC results, knowledge of the food ingredients andprocessing are required and must be determined at the time of sampling.Using this knowledge, foods can be divided into the three following categories.Please refer to Table of Food Category Examples (Appendix A) for a furtherdetailed explanation of the food categories.Category 1These foods are ready-to-eat and all components are fully cooked inpreparation of the final product without any subsequent handling prior to saleor distribution. It is reasonable to expect that foods falling within this categorywhich have been properly handled and prepared to have an ACC less than10,000/g. The only exception to this acceptable limit would be for foods thatare canned or have gone through a retort process. It is expected that thesefoods should be relatively close to sterile, but occasionally thermotolerantspores can survive.Category 2These foods contain components that are fully cooked and ready-to-eat butmay have undergone some additional handling (storage, slicing or mixing) priorto the sale, distribution or consumption. This category also applies to foodsthat are assembled from ready-to-eat foods (excluding those in Category 3)and do not undergo a final cook step (eg. hot dogs, sandwiches, burgers).Category 3These foods are exempt from microbial recommendations because it isexpected that high aerobic colony counts would be present due to the normalmicrobial flora associated with these food items. Examples of foods in thiscategory are fresh fruits and vegetables, fermented foods, all types of sprouts,cultured dairy products or any foods that contain these as an ingredient, suchas sandwiches, pasta salads or salad rolls.Satisfactory – Test results indicate good microbial quality and follow-up actionis not required.Cautionary – Test results fall within accepted microbiological limits but couldbe indicative of improper food handling or storage conditions where food wasprocessed.Unacceptable – Test results fall outside of microbiological limits and areindicative of poor sanitation food handling or storage practices. A review offood handling practices or processes at the establishment and further foodsampling may be required.8
Total ColiformsTotal Coliforms are bacteria that are found naturally in the environment and aregenerally harmless. They can grow at body temperature and the presence oftotal coliforms in cooked ready-to-eat foods can be indicative of poor handlingpractices. For example, the presence of coliforms following pasteurization couldindicate inadequate pasteurization or post pasteurization contamination.Elevated counts of Total Coliforms may be due to: inadequate processing extended shelf-life post processing contaminationFecal ColiformsFecal coliforms are found in the environment and can appear in large quantitiesin the intestines and feces of humans and animals. Caution has to be exercisedwhen interpreting a fecal coliform result in certain foods. Presence of fecalcoliforms in cooked ready-to-eat foods is indicative of recent contamination andindicates that there is a greater risk that pathogens may also be present.However, the presence of fecal coliforms in fresh fruits or vegetables may notbe an indication of fecal contamination since some genera of bacteria in thefecal coliform group are from non-fecal sources in the environment.Elevated counts of Fecal Coliforms may be due to: fecalcontamination post processingcontamination extended shelf-life poor sanitation inadequateprocessingE. coliE. coli bacteria live in the gut of warm blooded mammals and can grow atelevated temperature. They are almost exclusively of fecal origin and theirpresence is an effective confirmation of fecal contamination. The presence of E.coli in foods is indicative of direct or indirect contamination with feces andtherefore indicates the potential for enteric pathogens to also be present.Note: Certain serotypes of E. coli are pathogenic and are capable of causingoutbreaks of diarrhea.9
6. Microbiological Recommendations for Ready-to-eat FoodsAerobic Colony Count§ (CFU/g)Food ory 1 10,000 100,000 100,000Category 2 1,000,000 10,000,000 10,000,000Category 3N/AN/AN/A* Refer to Appendix A for detailed listing of each food categoryCFU/g: Colony forming units per gram : Less than : Less than or equal to : Greater than : Greater than or equal toN/A: Not applicable because the food, or a component of it, naturally contains high numbers of bacteria (eg. raw fruitsor vegetables, fermented or cultured foods)Indicator Organisms§ al Coliforms 100 1,000 1,000*Fecal Coliforms 3N/A 3*E. coli 3N/A 3* Exception: Fresh fruits and vegetables, including sprouts or foods containing these as an ingredient.Pathogen Tests§ (/g)OrganismSatisfactoryCautionaryUnsatisfactoryB. cereus 50 1,000 1,000*S. aureus 25 100 100**Any result higher than 10,000 CFU/g is considered potentially hazardous.§Reference: Health Canada Microbial Guidelines for Ready-to-Eat Foods: A Guide for the Conveyance Industry andEnvironmental Health Officers (EHO), 2010.Supplementary Tests*pH 4.6aw 0.85* Generally for a food to be considered safe to store at room temperature it should meet at least one of these criteria.Aerobic Colony Count Recommendations for Environmental sfactoryTotal Count(per 100 cm2) 540540 - 2700 2700Reference: Heinz HJ., Shapton N., Shapton D. (1991) Principles and Practices for the Safe Processing of FoodPrepared: 24 December 201410
7. STAT ReportsWhen the laboratory detects positive results for Fecal Coliform or E. coli tests,the submitting EHO and supervisor will be notified by email with an attachedreport detailing the food sample information and the preliminary laboratoryfindings. No STAT reports will be issued for foods that exceed therecommended Aerobic Colony Counts or Total Coliform Counts.8. Reference MaterialBC Public Health Microbiology & Reference Laboratory Guide to Programs andServicesGuide to Programs and Services.pdfBCCDC/PHSA Labs Annual efault.htmFood Monitoring nes/FoodMonitoring.htmAustralia New Zealand Food Authority. (2001). Guidelines for themicrobiological examination of ready-to-eat-food. Australia New Zealand FoodAuthority Guidelines.pdfHislop N., Phan P. (2007). Microbiological guidelines for ready-to-eat foods: AGuide for Environmental Public Health Professionals. Environmental HealthReview, 37-42.Health Canada (2010). Health Canada Microbial Guidelines for Ready-to-EatFoods: A Guide for the Conveyance Industry and Environmental Health OfficersHealth Canada Microbial Guidelines for RTE lection 2014/sc-hc/H164-167-2013eng.pdfHealth Protection Agency. (2009). Guidelines for Assessing the MicrobiologicalSafety of Ready-to-Eat Foods Placed in the Market. London: Health ProtectionAgency.Heinz HJ., Shapton N., Shapton D. (1991) Principles and Practices for the SafeProcessing of Foods.Gilbert, R.J., de Louvois, J., Donovan, T., Little, C., Nye, K., Riberiro, C.D.,Richards, J., Roberts, D., Bolton, F.J. (2000). Guidelines for the microbiologicalquality of some ready-to-eat foods sampled at the point of sale. CommunicableDisease and Public Health 3(3), 163-167Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion. (Feb 2013). Public HealthInspector’s Guide to the Principles and Practices of Environmental Microbiology.Ontario Public Health Inspectors Guide.pdf11
9. Contact InformationJulie Wong, SupervisorFood Laboratory, Environmental MicrobiologyBC Public Health Microbiology & Reference Laboratory655 W 12th AveVancouver, BCTel: (604) 707-2611E-mail: julie.wong@bccdc.caWebsite address: www.bccdc.ca/PHSALaboratoriesBrian Auk, Section HeadEnvironmental MicrobiologyBC Public Health Microbiology & Reference Laboratory655 W 12th AveVancouver, BCTel: (604) 707-2608E-mail: brian.auk@bccdc.caWebsite address: www.bccdc.ca/PHSALaboratoriesLynn Wilcott, Acting Program DirectorFood Protection Services, Environmental Health ServicesBC Centre for Disease Control655 W 12th AveVancouver, BCTel: (604) 707-2455E-mail: lynn.wilcott@bccdc.caWebsite address: www.bccdc.ca12
Appendix A:Table of Food Category ExamplesThis document is a guide to assist Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) todetermine the food category that a ready-to-eat food sample submitted fortesting under the Food Quality Check program falls into. This list is notexhaustive and if a food is not listed here EHOs should use their own judgmentto determine where a product would fit, based upon the processing it hasreceived, the product type and the shelf stability.ExampleSoupsMeat PiesCategory Quiche1Cooked meatsCooked fishCooked seafoodHamburger pattiesExampleSliced meatsPatéSandwiches (containing cookedCategoryingredients)2Hot and cold smoked fish andmeatsDonairsDips, dressing or saucesExampleSprouted seedsFresh fruits and vegetablesCategory Yogurt3Mixed salads (containing rawingredients)Fermented meatsCooked vegetablesStewsChiliFried riceSamosaRicePizzaCustard filled pastryDessertsLong shelf life fish or meatproducts (Vacuum or MAP)*Ice cream, milk shakesSushi riceSpicesCheesePickled foodsSandwiches (containing rawingredients)Dried foods*These products can have an ACC of 107-108 CFU/g and still be consideredsafe. A result over 108 CFU/g is considered unacceptable.13
2015 Food Quality Check Program Schedule(Weeks that are bold and underlined indicate short Holiday weeks)January4 – Vancouver Island11 – Interior18 – Vancouver Coastal25 – Vancouver CoastalJuly5 – Vancouver Island12 – Interior19 – Northern26 – FraserFebruary1 – Vancouver Coastal8 – Fraser15 – Northern22 – NorthernAugust2 – Vancouver Coastal9 – Vancouver Island16 – Fraser23 – Northern30 – Vancouver CoastalMarch1 – Vancouver Island8 – Interior15 – Fraser22 – Northern29 – Vancouver CoastalSeptember 6 – Interior13 – Vancouver Island20 – Vancouver Coastal27 – NorthernOctober4 – Fraser11 – Vancouver Island18 – Interior25 – Vancouver CoastalApril5 – Vancouver Island12 – Fraser19 – Interior26 – NorthernMay3 – Vancouver Island10 – Vancouver Coastal17 – Northern24 – Fraser31 – InteriorNovember 1 – Northern8 – Fraser15 – Interior22 – Vancouver Island29 – Vancouver CoastalJune7 – Vancouver Island14 – Northern21 – Fraser28 – InteriorDecember 6 – Fraser13 – Interior14
Requisition form. Complete all applicable fields on the requisition. Incomplete or improperly filled out information can affect result interpretation and data analysis. Hard copies of the Food Quality Check Sample Requisition form can be ordered from the laboratory by submitting the Sample Container Order form
Types of food environments Community food environment Geographic food access, which refers to the location and accessibility of food outlets Consumer food environment Food availability, food affordability, food quality, and other aspects influencing food choices in retail outlets Organizational food environment Access to food in settings
Food Fraud and "Economically Motivated Adulteration" of Food and Food Ingredients Congressional Research Service 1 Background Food fraud, or the act of defrauding buyers of food and food ingredients for economic gain— whether they be consumers or food manufacturers, retailers, and importers—has vexed the food industry throughout history.
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6.2.5 Impact of food aid on food availability 153 6.2.6 Impact of food aid on food accessibility 153 6.2.7 Impact of food aid on food utilisation 154 6.2.8 Impact of food aid on vulnerability 154 6.2.9 Impact of food aid on local markets in Ngabu 154 6.3 RECOMMENDATIONS 154
food technology disciplines supporting a multibillion-dollar food industry. Food Microbiology not only assures the quality and shelf life of different food products but also ensures that food products are safe for the consumer. The production of food under food safety parameters and regulations is beyond the simple memorization of knowledge.
1 Food losses refer to the decrease in the quantity or quality of edible food mass available for human consumption that can occur at early stages of the food supply chain (i.e. production, postharvest and processing). Food waste refers instead to food discarded at the end of the food chain (i.e. retail and final consumption),
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