VALIDATING THERMAL SANITIZATIONOF MUSHROOM DISK SLICING EQUIPMENT

摘要

Listeria monocytogenes is a human bacterial pathogen of concern in the fresh produce industry because of its high mortality rate, and it is ubiquitous in continually moist processing environments such as produce packing and slicing facilities. The newPreventive Controls for Human Food regulation issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Food Safety Modernization Act requires processors to consider the potential for cross-contamination of equipment during operation and develop sanitation preventive controls proven to minimize risks. Fresh-cut produce operations are especially warned to be aware of the potential for mechanical slicers to harbor and ultimately transfer L. monocytogenes to ready-to-eat produce products.