An environmental monitoring program is the systematic sampling of both food contact and non-contact surfaces to test for specific contaminants that may pose either an immediate food safety risk (pathogen or allergen detection) or a possible indicator of a food safety risk (indicator bacteria or adenosine triphosphate). Samples are collected on a predetermined, regular schedule and from an alternating representation of zones and contact surfaces to capture a dynamic picture of the environmental conditions throughout the packinghouse. In a food processing facility, a zone is an area or surface that is defined based on the chance of product contamination if the surface becomes contaminated. This probability is determined based on whether the surface comes in direct contact with the food product (i.e., food contact surface) or its proximity to food and food contact surfaces.
This factsheet answers the following questions:
- What is an environmental monitoring program?
- Why use environmental monitoring?
- How do we identify zones?
- What are the suggested zone designations in a packinghouse or other food facility?
- Why are zones important?