A Workable Food Safety System
Normec Foodcare was asked by the company to assist in establishing a practical food safety system from the outset. Since the product is a frozen item—not sold directly to consumers but supplied to the foodservice industry—significant attention was paid to validating the preparation instructions. In addition, there was a focus on controlling (safe) raw materials. This made it possible to manage the risk of Listeria monocytogenes.
Because the foodservice sector was no longer an outlet, a quick shift in strategy was necessary. Every effort was made to sell the product through retail channels. Initially, this would also involve a frozen product. Since there is no way to verify whether a consumer thoroughly heats the product at home, it had to be ensured that Listeria monocytogenes could not grow to levels exceeding 100 kve/g. This was achieved by conducting more frequent inspections and implementing stricter raw material selection criteria.
New Opportunities for Risk Mitigation
A retailer has expressed a desire to sell the product as a chilled item rather than a frozen product, with a best-by date of 10 days after arrival. This means that the total best-by period would need to be approximately 14 days. To meet this requirement, a study was first conducted to investigate whether modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) could provide a solution. It quickly became apparent that the growth of Listeria monocytogenes would far exceed the established limits. Subsequently, the possibility of using preservatives was raised. Various combinations were tested, and although the results showed that the product was organoleptically comparable to the original, this method was not selected. The use of preservatives is not in line with the company’s own principles and requirements for its products.
A test is currently underway to investigate, using other sterilization techniques, whether the product can be sterilized in its final packaging in order to eliminate the risk of Listeria monocytogenes.
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