Comparison of Filtration Units for Assessing Microbiological Recovery
In 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finalized and enacted the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), requiring food and beverage manufacturers to evaluate potential hazards and enact measures to prevent contamination.[1] Under the act, companies will be required to keep detailed records and establish written food safety plans. High-risk producers will now be subject to official FDA inspections once every 3 years versus once every 10 years under previous standards. [2] The regulations are designed to shift the food safety system from reactive to proactive when handling contamination. The legislation, the largest change in food safety since 1938, is seen as a shift away from internal quality control by food and beverage manufacturers to a system of federal oversight similar to the regulation applied to the pharmaceutical sector.
As a result of FSMA and other initiatives around the world, food and beverage manufacturers are intensifying their focus on prevention of contamination. An important part of these efforts is to ensure efficient and effective methods of bioburden testing, an essential part of preventing contamination and protecting consumer health.