Food Safety Magazine, February/March 2013

SANITATIONapproach, 1, 2 while effective for pest managementand thus chemical residue sampling,may not be sufficient to samplefor a biological risk. That said, how doesone approach field sampling for biologicalpathogens? Before we answer thisquestion, let’s explore other considerations.Sampling with a Purpose:The Why, Where and WhenAs the title indicates, one shouldsample raw produce fields with a purpose.That is, why do we sample? Thereare two reasons: We sample either formonitoring purposes or for forensicpurposes (such as when we encountera recall issue). Either purpose requiresconsideration of the federal ReportableFood Registry reporting requirements,which is a federal mandate to report anyfoodborne pathogen found on a productdestined for consumption that is in thechannels of trade and not within theproducer’s complete control to mitigatefurther distribution. If one wants to testand sample for a foodborne pathogen,regardless of where the product or theprocess affecting the product is withinthe supply chain, it is advisable to have apositive release policy in place to ensurethat the product does not enter the channelsof trade should a contaminant ofsome type be encountered.Keeping this mandate in mind, wenow know the when to sample, whichis at the time we still have completecontrol of the distribution of all itemsproduced. If we do not have completecontrol of the distribution of all itemsproduced, we need to step farther backin the process and reconsider where tosample. Perhaps we must sample muchearlier in the process or supply chain todetermine and understand the baselinerisk of distribution control. Thus, thewhen to sample is at the point of completecontrol of product distribution,and the where to sample is at the earliestpoint in this production process. Thereason it is important to sample at thepoint of complete distribution controlis when the purpose of sampling is toanalyze for foodborne pathogens. Inthat case, it is recommended to enforcea positive release policy to lessen theaccidental distribution of contaminatedproduct entering the supply chain andthe channels of trade. Thus, sampling atthe point of distribution control enablesone to implement a positive release policy.Combining the when and the whereconsiderations isolates the field samplingprocess as close to the harvest event aspossible while providing sufficient timefor laboratory results turnaround so asnot to delay harvest plans, to still havecontrol of product distribution, and,hence, to reduce the possibility of contaminatedproduct entering the channelsof trade.The AIBFood Protection AdvantageLet AIB provide the INTEGRATEDsingle-source solution to your FoodProtection needs.Leverage the synergies of the best global FoodProtection products and services to lower your risk andprotect your company’s brands800-633-5137www.aibonline.orgF e b r u a r y • M a r c h 2 0 1 3 21