CFA’s highly regarded guidance documents remain central to its work and the industry is already welcoming the latest of these: ‘Principles of an Environmental Monitoring Program for the Management of Listeria monocytogenes’. This guidance is part of a package of work led by CFA in preparation for potential changes to EU legislated Listeria monocytogenes criteria (CFA News #59). That work has now largely been published at www.chilledfood.org/listeria. The guidance sets out effective environmental hygiene management using monitoring and preventative and corrective actions and how to interpret this data and relate it to other results from raw materials, components and product. […]

Brexit continues to sit high on CFA’s agenda, with the Association leading in Government engagement on the future of trade between Great Britain, Northern Ireland (NI), the EU and Rest of the World (ROW). As reported in CFA News #59, CFA continues to lead the SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) Certification WG in Government engagement on the future of trade between GB, NI, the EU and the ROW. The UK’s Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) for imports has now been published, introducing new SPS certification requirements starting from 31 January 2024 for certain medium risk foods such as products of animal […]

UK Government’s Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF), has been reviewing the risk basis of the FSA’s guidance on the control of non-proteolytic Clostridium botulinum (npcb) in vacuum packed and modified atmosphere packed (VP/MAP) chilled foods. In June 2022 CFA Director Karin Goodburn presented evidence to the group (CFA News #58 & #59). ACMSF has now published its report on Botulinum Neurotoxin-Producing Clostridia. The report is available on on the ACMSF website. CFA welcomes this Report, which not only updates the risk basis of the guidance but also extends the scope of interest to all Botulinum neurotoxin-producing Clostridia. The Report […]