(October 2016)
FSANZ is reviewing the microbiological limits in the Food Standards Code taking into account changes that have occurred to approaches to food safety management.
The review is considering recent scientific evidence and the development of preventative measures throughout the food supply chain, including food safety standards and primary production and processing standards. It will look at what microbiological criteria are required in food safety management and for what purpose. For example, microbiological criteria may be established to:
- determine the safety of a lot of food (food safety criteria)
- verify if a food safety system or a processing step is working (process hygiene criteria).
In January 2015 FSANZ released a consultation paper outlining the approach and guiding principles for this work. Read the consultation paper.
Work completed to date
Microbiological criteria for raw milk cheeses were developed through Proposal P1022.
Guideline criteria for ready-to-eat foods have been revised and now included in the Compendium of Microbiological Criteria for Food.
Work ongoing
FSANZ is continuing its work with enforcement agencies and industry to look at microbiological criteria for other commodities including meat products, dairy foods, seafood and low moisture foods. The development of process hygiene criteria will help inform any changes to Standard 1.6.1 and Schedule 27 which will then be progressed through FSANZ’s standard development process.
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