Bacterial hazards and testing

Question 1

When can testing for microbes on a food product be done?

Answer 1

End of production process

Question 2

What is mesophilic plate count?

Answer 2

Overall microflora of a product

Question 3

How can specific microbes be found in a product?

Answer 3

Using selective media

Question 4

What is sampling testing?

Answer 4

Analyse a fraction of a material and use legislative limits to determine its safety

Question 5

What is single composite sampling?

Answer 5

Pool equal sized samples of a batch

Question 6

What is multiple composite sampling?

Answer 6

Pool equal sized samples of same food type

Question 7

What are indicator organisms?

Answer 7

Bad pathogens are in low numbers so look for other pathogens with similar characteristics in high numbers

Question 8

What are the 2 types of sampling schemes?

Answer 8

2 class and 3 class

Question 9

What is a 2 class sampling scheme?

Answer 9

Sample fails if organism found above threshold
Defined by 3 numbers

Question 10

What are the 3 numbers in a 2 class sampling scheme?

Answer 10

n (number of samples)
m (count above which is deemed unacceptable)
c (max number of samples needed to exceed m)

Question 11

What is class 3 sampling scheme?

Answer 11

Same method but m (count which separates good from marginal quality) and M (count above which is deemed unacceptable)
Can be acceptable, unacceptable and mildly acceptable