Designing microbiologically safe foods

The key to building safety in to a product is to understand what makes it safe from a microbiological point of view. To this end, the ingredient quality; processing; intrinsic (e.g. water activity, pH) and extrinsic (e.g. temperature, gas content of the headspace) properties of the food; packaging; and shelf life parameters need to be understood and formulated appropriately.

This module of training would be aimed at those involved in product development as-well as microbiologists and would provide a complete understanding of the subject.  It is a critical part of the job role and will allow them to understand how their need to develop novel products must be tempered by the absolute need to produce safe and stable products.

• An introduction to microorganisms
• Intrinsic and extrinsic properties of foodstuffs and how they relate to microorganisms
• Risk Assessment in production – reducing risks, building design & equipment
• Safe product design – shelf life, storage, contamination, formulation, packaging
• How to sample and test
• When and what to test
• Interpretation of results
• Knowledge of microbiology legislation

Learning Outcomes

• Implementing a robust procedure for developing a new product
• An awareness of potential microorganisms  associated  with new food stuffs
• Take into account factors that will impact on product safety within the factory environment
• Determining the most appropriate testing regime to gather the right data
• The confidence to make meaningful decisions in relation to results for product testing