In response to George Chang's question on April 1 about Sanitation
Standards/ Swab Counts of Surfaces, I concur with the others, there are
fewer articulated standards for microbial contamination for food contact
surfaces than one might think. I know that Ontario's (Canada's) Health
Promotion and Protection Act's Food Premises Regulations has a standard
which states:
80. The standard plate count from a multi-service article shall not exceed
100 bacterial colonies after cleaning and sanitizing and prior to re-use
when tested by an official method in accordance with the standard plate
test, utilizing the swab technique. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 562, s. 80.
See these Regulations at:
http://192.75.156.68/DBLaws/Regs/English/900562_e.htm
As I recall the food contact surface swab area by this method is 2-inches
by 2-inches (5 cm x 5 cm).
Hope this helps.
Steve Saunders
High Liner Foods Inc. Box 910, Lunenburg NS B0J 2C0 Canada
Telephone 902-634-8811 Fax 902-634-4481
http://www.highlinerfoods.com
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