Microbiological criteria: when and how to sample
How to design a microbiological sampling plan that actually informs decisions — covering process hygiene criteria, food safety criteria and shelf-life testing.
Two types of criteria
Food safety criteria (e.g. Listeria monocytogenes in RTE foods) determine whether a product is fit to place on the market. Process hygiene criteria (e.g. Enterobacteriaceae on carcases) tell you whether your process is in control.
Designing a sampling plan
Start from the hazards in your HACCP, not from a generic template. Sample frequency should reflect risk and historical performance. Trend results monthly — a single positive is data; a pattern is action.
Author
TFCG Editorial Team
Food safety practitioners
- Chartered CIEH members
- BRCGS Approved Trainers
- Lead Auditors
Chartered food safety practitioners and former technical managers with hands-on UK manufacturing, catering and retail experience. Every article is technically reviewed before publication.
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