Microbiological regulatory monitoring program for provincially licensed meat plants that process ready-to-eat meat products

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) is enhancing the provincial meat inspection program by implementing a microbiological monitoring program in provincially licensed meat plants that produce ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products.

This is an ongoing, regulatory monitoring program, delivered under the authority of Regulation 31/05 (Meat) and the Food Safety and Quality Act, 2001.

How does this affect meat plants and operators?

Effective January 2009, further meat inspectors will collect samples of RTE meat products. Starting in the spring, they will also collect swabs of food contact surfaces, utensils and equipment within plants that process those products.

Test results will provide operators with important information regarding the effectiveness of the food safety protocols in place in their plants. The program will also provide useful information about areas of potential contamination in their meat plants and the safety of their RTE meat products.

Where there are adverse results, OMAFRA will take action based on established protocols and work with operators to address issues within the plant.

The regulatory monitoring program will strengthen food safety and increases consumers' confidence in RTE meat products.

What are samples tested for?

All meat samples and swabs will be sent to the University of Guelph Laboratory Services, where they will be tested for:

• harmful bacteria and bacterial toxins
  • Listeria monocytogenes
  • Salmonella
  • Staphylococcus aureus
  • Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin
  • Verocytotoxigenic E. coli ( VTEC, e.g. O157:H7)
• indicator organisms (bacteria that are not disease-causing but indicate poor sanitation)
• other food safety related parameters (pH, water activity, nitrate/nitrite)

The number of samples collected per plant, per year will depend on a plant's production volume of various RTE meat products processed at the plant.

What should operators do with sampled lots?

OMAFRA encourages operators to voluntarily hold the product lots from which samples were taken while awaiting laboratory results, as a precautionary measure to avoid product recalls. Operators are required by regulation to maintain a written recall plan.

How long does it take for test results to be ready?

Initial test results using screening methods will be ready within three to four business days following the sampling.

• If results are negative for pathogens of public health concern, sampled lots can be released.
• If results are positive, further testing to confirm test results will follow.

Results will be communicated to operators as soon as they are available.

What is a sampled lot?

Health Canada defines the sampled lot as:

A batch or production unit which may be identified by the same code. When there is no code identification, a lot may be considered as:

• that quantity of product produced under essentially the same conditions, at the same establishment and representing no more than one day's production; or
• the quantity of the same variety of product from one and the same manufacturer available for sampling at a fixed location.

What happens if adverse results are found?

When test results are available, they are compared to Health Canada microbiological guidelines. If results are satisfactory, sampled lots can be released.

If test results exceed microbiological limits specified by Health Canada, there are two types of response, depending on the level of risk to public health:

• Investigative results indicate bacteria are present at a higher level than is considered normal for the type of product. The operator is notified and a review of the plant's process controls and sanitation procedures will be conducted by meat inspection staff. This may include conducting additional sampling and testing while holding sampled lots pending results of analyses. The plant operator will be asked to submit an action plan to meat inspection staff within 10 business days of notification.
• Unsatisfactory results indicate that the product is out of compliance.
  • If voluntarily held, disposition of implicated lots and follow-up actions at the processing plants will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
  • If the sampled lot was not held, OMAFRA will notify the Canadian Food Inspection Agency so that a health risk assessment can be conducted and the need for product recall determined. OMAFRA will determine the appropriate follow-up and corrective actions at the plant on a case-by-case basis.

The plant operator is required to implement a corrective action plan within 10 business days. The further processing inspector at the plant will monitor the plant's compliance with the action plan.

Additional testing by operator

It is the operator's responsibility to ensure that the meat products they process and distribute are free of contamination. In addition to the testing conducted by OMAFRA under this program, meat plant operators are encouraged to consider conducting their own testing.

We encourage industry to continually monitor and improve their processing procedures to maintain consumer confidence in the safety of their ready-to-eat meat products.

Operators should talk to meat inspection staff if they need further information about conducting their own testing.