The Critical Nature of a Good Environmental Monitoring Program The Story Behind Sabra’s Recall, Experience with the FDA, and Environmental Monitoring Journey
Sr. Director, Global Quality Assurance & Food Safety
Sabra Dipping Company
The FDA has increased its emphasis and focus on food manufacturer’s pathogen Environmental Programs (EP). Many Ready-to-Eat (RTE) food manufacturers, including Sabra, Pinnacle, Nestle, Greencore, and Hudson Valley Foods, have experienced expensive recalls due to the FDA finding Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) in the plant environment only. Thus, the importance of well planned, sustainable, and well managed Environmental Programs cannot be taken lightly by food manufacturers any longer. This presentation traces Sabra’s journey to eliminate Lm from its manufacturing environment, the need for 24/7 management of an EP, and how easy it is to let the bug back in.