"Increasingly, all types of consumers are demanding minimally-processed foods that are high in quality, nutritionally superior, and easy to prepare," he says. "Food processors have met this demand by developing refrigerated foods with extended shelf life, [such as] complete heat-and-eat meals, fresh pasta, and [pre-washed or deli-style] salads."
However, contrary to past conventional wisdom, scientists now know that several pathogens, such as Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria species, and certain strains of Clostridium botulinum, can grow at refrigeration temperatures, which means that manufacturers must stringently apply control measures to refrigerated foods with extended shelf life.
According to Marth, good manufacturing practices (GMPs), sanitation, and
hygiene are key to microbiological control. These include using high-quality
raw materials with low levels of microorganisms, selecting food processing
equipment that is easy to clean and does not harbor contaminants, sanitizing
equipment regularly to prevent build-up of bacteria, checking equipment for
cleaning adequacy with microbiological tests, filtering the air of food
processing areas to reduce airborne contaminants, and training personnel to use
hygienic food handling practices. Expanding upon GMPs, establishing a Hazard
Analysis Critical Control Point system is also important to fully identify and
control food safety hazards. Beyond food production, acc
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Contact: Angela Dansby
aldansby@ift.org
(312) 782-8424
Institute of Food Technologists
28-Jan-1998