Air Sampling

The guarantee of food quality, and particularly food safety, places an onerous responsibility on all food processors. EU Regulations (EN 29000 - 29004) define this responsibility not only in terms of the quality of the end produce, but also the precautions which must be taken in the preparation and processing of foods to minimize the risk of contamination. For all food products, and especially for those which are heat sensitive (e.g. milk or egg-based) and subject to minimal heat treatment, all aspects of the process must be rigorously controlled to prevent microbial contamination. This includes, not only the processing equipment, but also the processing environment including the air, which may reduce product shelf life, and in certain circumstances, pose a serious hazard to food safety.

While air filtration is now standard practice in food processing environments, significant increases in aerial microbial counts may occur intermittently due to failure to adhere to Good Manufacturing Practices and/or failure of the air filtration system due to design, inadequate maintenance, malfunction, etc.

Frequent and effective monitoring of the air sterility, in the process environment is therefore essential to alert processors of the potential risks, and the possible need for corrective action. However, the lack of reliable quantitative air sampling techniques, coupled to the uncertainty about the behavior or control of micro-organisms within air filtration systems, present serious obstacles to effective control of processing environments.