- Provide progress reports to company
and regulatory officials. - Conduct an effectiveness check to
determine the amount of questionable
product recalled. - Determine the ultimate disposition of
the recalled product.
Sampling for a Quality Assurance Program
An effective sampling plan is an essential
component of testing for a food safety pro-
gram. With an ineffective sampling plan, a
test result that is negative provides a false
sense of security. To obtain meaningful data,
an understanding of the testing involved in
the context of the sampling plan is essential.
The types of swabs (individual or composite),
number of swabs, and the sites in the plant
that are sampled will impact the test results.
A sample is part of anything that is sub-
mitted for inspection or analysis that is a rep-
resentative of the whole population. For the
sample to be appropriate, it must be statisti-
cally valid. Validity is achieved by selecting
the sample so as to ensure that each unit of
material in a lot being sampled has an equal
chance of being chosen for examination.
This process is called randomization.
A sample must be representative of the
population to ensure integrity of results.
A suggested sample number is the square
root of the total number that would be sam-
pled. Representative samples are not only
random samples, but must constitute a
proportionate amount of each part of the
population. A major concern of the QA
organization should be the collection, identi-
fication, and storage of samples for inspec-
tion and/or analysis. A statistically valid
sample is important because:
●A sample is the basis for establishing the
condition of the entire item or lot. A
larger sample size increases the integrity
that can be placed on findings.●Submitting the entire item or lot for
inspection is expensive and usually
impractical.
●Sampling is used for the establishment
of data for the development of stan-
dards and product acceptance.
●The integrity of collected samples is
diminished by inaccurate and incom-
plete information. Forms should con-
tain all of the information necessary for
sampling and subsequent type of analy-
sis. Sample cases should be insulated to
ensure temperature maintenance during
the period of transit to the point of
inspection or analyses.Samples must be held at 0ºC to 4.5ºC.
Sealed refrigerants, which come in several
temperature ranges, are available. If mainte-
nance in the zero to subzero temperature
range is essential, dry ice should be used.
During the past decade a limited amount
of environmental testing and monitoring
was conducted in food plants. However,
food companies now recognize that the
control of the in-plant environment is criti-
cal to the production of safe food. Tests are
being performed on-site, outsourced, or
combination of both. Contamination from
the processing environment is one of the
most common sources of microbial con-
tamination of the finished product. The
implementation and maintenance of a rigid
environmental monitoring program can be
beneficial in identifying areas that can serve
as growth niches on plant equipment that
are in the plant environment. Environmental
testing is a preventive step that may lead to
the recognition of a contamination problem
before it becomes a source for finished prod-
uct contamination. An environmental test-
ing program can verify that the sanitation
controls are effective in minimizing hazards
such as foodborne pathogens, especially Lis-
teria monocytogenesin wet or refrigerated