Hygiene and Safety

IDF Standing Committee on Microbiological Hygiene

Current activities

Significance of Shiga-toxigenic E coli in dairy production
Surveillance of relevant information and reporting of emerging hazards associated with milk and milk products, and subsequent publications
Design of microbiological control systems in dairy production
Continuous update of the inventory of microorganisms with history of safe use

Objectives

To monitor, review, report and advise on hygiene management, its foundation, principles, procedures, options and measures, applicable throughout the food chain and appropriate for achieving safe and suitable milk and milk products;
To assist Codex in adopting technically correct and feasible Codex hygiene standards, codes, and guidelines based on international consensus;
To advise the dairy sector about the implications, and the control and management of hygiene and microbiological contaminants;
To consider making input through the monitoring of the activities of CCFH, CCGP and CCFICS and other relevant international organizations (e.g. ICMSF) concerning microbiological risk assessment relevant to the safety of milk and milk products; microbiological risk management, and relevant to the microbiological safety of milk and milk products; hygiene management relevant to obtain safe and suitable milk and milk products;
To prepare IDF reports, statements, position papers, proposals, etc. including submissions of technical advice to the CCFH, the CCGP and the CCFICS and prepare information material for the dairy sector based upon that work; to adequately monitor, on behalf of IDF, the work of the CCFH and the CCFICS and to provide advice on any implications for the work of other IDF Standing Committees.

Documents, factsheets, articles...

Factsheet: Listeria monocytogenes – relevance to dairy products
Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that causes a disease called listeriosis. How does this affect the dairy industry and what is being done to minimise the risks?
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Factsheet: The Lactoperoxidase system
What is lactoperoxidase? Why should it be used and what are the issues?
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Factsheet: Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC)

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Article published in IJFM: Review of Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and their significance in dairy production
The involvement of the pathogenic Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC; also called verocytotoxicproducing E. coli or VTEC) in sporadic cases and disease outbreaks is presently increasing. Infrequent cases are due to ingestion of milk and dairy products. As ruminants are healthy carriers of STEC and most dairy products may provide these bacteria with favourable conditions for their growth, milk and dairy products are a potential source of STEC. But not all STEC serotypes are pathogens; only relatively small numbers in the entire family of STEC are pathogenic. This review focuses on the recent advances in understanding of STEC and their significance in milk and dairy products. It is intended to gather the information that is needed to understand how these bacteria are described, detected and characterised, how they contaminate milk and grow in dairy products, and how the dairy industry can prevent them from affecting the consumer.
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Bulletin of the IDF 455/2012 - Safety demonstrations of Microbial Food Cultures (MFC) in fermented food products
Update of the IDF Bulletin 377 (2002) - IDF inventory of microorganisms with technological beneficial use in food fermentations. While the rationale has been peer reviewed and published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology, IDF proposes now a more applicable demonstration for food business operators and competent authorities.
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This work has been presented by François Bourdichon on 5 September 2012 in the FoodMicro conference in Istanbul, Turkey.
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Article published in IJFM: Food Fermentations: Microorganisms with Technological Beneficial Use
Update of the IDF Bulletin 377 (2002), published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology
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Factsheet: Shelf-life of Dairy Products
Product shelf-life information on pre-packaged foods plays an important role in consumers’ choices at the time of buying or consuming a food product. Shelf-life can provide consumers with information on product quality, safety and convenience.
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Factsheet: Shelf-life of Dairy Products - Questions & Answers
Can I eat this food product after the “best before” or “use by” date? This food does not smell or look bad even though its “use by” date has expired. Is it still safe to consume? Why did my milk not last until its best before date?
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IDF Standing Committee on Residues and Chemical Contaminants

Current activities

Monitoring and input to new Codex ad hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Animal Feeding
Proposal for Codex Guidelines for managing Food Emergency Situations in relation to International Trade

Objectives

To identify those residue and chemical contaminant issues that are, or have the potential to be, important to a major part of the world dairy industry;
To provide whenever possible technical data and expertise on issues considered;
To develop proposals for the management that could include such things as control, communication, monitoring, legislation of those issues, based on a hazard analysis approach;
To assist Codex to adopt technically correct and feasible Codex standards, codes and guidelines on residues and chemical contaminants;
To advise the dairy sector about the implications, control or elimination, of residues and chemical contaminants.