Canadian Food Inspection Agency Makes Changes to RTE Sampling Plans

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has updated its sampling plans for operators who produce RTE products which are exposed to the environment after processing. The implementation date for this sampling plan is April 1, 2009.

Document Title: Risk-based Verification Sampling of Ready-to-Eat (RTE) Meat and Poultry Products. version 2.0

Organization: Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)

Summary: The main changes include:
* Operators producing meat products must implement food contact surface testing programs in accordance with the prescribed requirements by April 1, 2009.
* Where applicable, operators must also implement the "Risk based verification sampling of Ready-to-Eat (RTE) Meat and Poultry Products" by April 1, 2009.
* Operators must perform trend analysis on their test results.
* The CFIA has implemented a food contact surface testing plan in establishments producing RTE meat products (sampling plan M205).
* Effective April 1, 2009, the food contact surface testing plan will be implemented jointly with the product testing plan (sampling plan M200). In 2009-10, the sampling frequency is six times per year per establishment.

Source: Meat Hygiene Manual of Procedures, Chapter 5 (Sampling and Testing Procedures), Annex I

Date Released: 2009-02-26

Web site: Annex I, 'Risk-based Verification Sampling of Ready-to-Eat (RTE) Meat and Poultry Products' is at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/meavia/man/ch5/annexie.shtml