Page 50 - FoodFocusThailand No.247 November_December 2026

STRONG QC & QA

ภาพที่่� 2 ขั้้�นตอนโปรแกรมการตรวจ
ติดตามสภาพแวดล้้อม:
วางแผน → เก็บต้วอย่่าง →
วิเคราะห์์ → ทบทวนแล้ะ
ดำาเนินการ → ปร้บปรุง
Figure 2 Environmental Monitoring
Program: Plan → Sample →
Analyze → Review & Act →
Improve

and microbiological testing as appropriate. Pass, caution, and Following a pathogen-positive finding, enhanced or vector
fail criteria should be based on facility-specific data rather sampling can help identify the source, extent, and transfer
than a universal limit. routes of contamination. Sampling may be expanded around
Indicator organisms such as total plate count, coliforms, the original site, including locations above, below, or inside
and Enterobacteriaceae indicate general microbiological equipment and areas associated with water, personnel, or
conditions and sanitation performance but do not directly equipment movement.
confirm pathogen presence or absence. Yeasts, molds, lactic The objective is not simply to obtain a negative result on the
acid bacteria, and other spoilage organisms may be monitored next swab, but to determine where contamination originated,
according to product-specific quality and shelf-life concerns. why it persisted, and how it reached higher-risk areas.
Environmental allergen monitoring can evaluate the This enables targeted corrective actions and subsequent
effectiveness of cleaning and measures to prevent allergen verification of their effectiveness.
cross-contact. ATP or total protein tests may indicate
incomplete cleaning but should not replace allergen-specific Turning Environmental Data into
methods when verification of a particular allergen is required. Continuous Improvement
Pathogen environmental monitoring is particularly The value of an EMP lies not in the number of samples
important in RTE operations, with target organisms selected collected but in how the data are used. Results from visual
according to risk. For example, Listeria monocytogenes is inspection, ATP, indicator and spoilage organisms, allergens,
important in wet, chilled RTE environments, Salmonella spp. and pathogen monitoring should be evaluated together where
in many low-moisture food facilities, and Cronobacter spp. relevant and trended over time and location.
in powdered infant formula production. In some programs, Repeated findings at the same location, rising indicator
Listeria spp. may be used as a broader environmental counts, or positive results associated with personnel, water,
monitoring target to identify conditions or harborage sites that or equipment movement may reveal persistent niches or
may support the persistence and spread of Listeria spp., with weaknesses in environmental control. Trend graphs, facility
further testing for L. monocytogenes performed as appropriate maps, and heat maps can help identify these patterns and
to the program and applicable requirements. guide decisions.
Sampling time also affects the information obtained. The EMP should be reviewed periodically, particularly after
Pre-operational sampling, conducted after cleaning and changes in products, processes, equipment, facility layout,
sanitation but before production, assesses surface cleanliness sanitation, or personnel and material flow, as well as following
and readiness. Operational sampling evaluates conditions repeated findings or significant food-safety events. Sampling
during production, when equipment movement, vibration, sites, targets, frequency, methods, and acceptance criteria
moisture, product accumulation, or personnel activity may should be reassessed against current risks. (Figure 2)
release microorganisms from harborage sites. An Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP) integrates
risk assessment, targeted sampling, microbiological and
A Positive Result Should Lead to Investigation, allergen testing, root cause investigation, corrective action,
Not Just Recleaning and trend analysis. Its success is measured not by the number
An unacceptable or positive environmental result should not of negative results, but by its ability to identify weaknesses,
be addressed by recleaning alone. Recleaning and sanitizing detect early warning signs, and improve control measures. An
the affected area are an immediate correction; when a effective EMP shifts food safety management from reactive
problem recurs, the underlying cause should be identified problem-solving to proactive prevention and continuous
and addressed through corrective action. This may include improvement.
repairing damaged surfaces, improving drainage, modifying
equipment design, or changing personnel and equipment
movement.

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