Ken Hilderbrand
At 10:00 PM 11/11/98 PST, Donald Gibson wrote:
>Last week, Steve Saunders described a microbiological sanitation test and
added..
>
>The test is not sophisticated and technically incubation in Laural
>Sulphate Broth first followed by a transfer should be done. But at
>the risk of a few false positives, we can use a method that doesn't
>require a microbiologist. Anyone with a little technical expertise
>can do it. Perhaps more importantly, the micro - information turn
>around time is fast, easy to understand and simple to track over
>the long term.
>
>My concern is the phrase - does not require a microbiologist.
>Why not use a proper microbiologist? Is this common practice in North
America?
>In the UK and Europe, laboratories use accredited methods, facilities and
trained qualified staff and
>the laboratory results are credible. The AOAC International is promoting
similar systems. Apart
>from the health and safety aspects of culturing potential pathogens in a
factory environment with
>unqualified staff, thus compromising the safety of the products, are
unqualified personnel used in
>other operations, such as finance (an unqualified accountant),
transportation (unlicensed drivers)
>etc., or is it only for microbiology?
>
>At the Washington HACCP conference in 1996, a representative from
Saunders' company gave
>one of the best papers. If the practice of avoiding the use of
microbiologists is common in the
>company, then their whole HACCP falls apart. There are proper and
accredited methods for
>microbiological testing which give rapid results but only when used
properly by a qualified person.
>
>Donald Gibson
>Biodon International
>
>
------------------------------------------------------
Kenneth S. Hilderbrand Jr.
Seafood Processing Specialist
Oregon State University
Marine Science Center
2030 Sth Marine Science Drive
Newport Oregon 97365-5296
telno 541 867-0242 (and voice mail)
faxno 541 867-0138
email <ken.hilderbrand@hmsc.orst.edu> (NEW 6/1/98)
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