The Chilled Food Association and the British Retail Consortium (BRC) have published a guide to help manufacturers and retailers understand new EC legislation on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs.
Entitled “Guidance on the Practical Implementation of the EC Regulation on Microbiological Criteria for Foodstuffs", the booklet has been launched in preparation of the new regulations, due to come into force on January 1.
Split into two sections, the guide includes both an overview of the regulations and an interpretation. It has been developed with input from several food organisations including the Food Standards Agency.
The CFA says so far there has been too much confusion spurred by testing laboratories and test kit manufacturers promoting services to the industry on the premise that the new legislation requires more testing, but says this is not the case.
The new regulation needs no additional testing where GMP and HACCP are already in place and verification is carried out as it is now, but its urging companies to contact their own associations if unclear.
In addition, CFA has also published "Microbiological Testing and Interpretation Guidance" which sets out how microbiological testing fits into HACCP, where sampling should take place and how data should be interpreted and acted upon.
It includes information on monitoring points, microbiological specifications and shelf life among other things.
Both documents can be downloaded from www.chilledfood.org/content/guidance.asp
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