The validation of control measures has historically been a requirement of food safety management systems and is increasingly required by certification bodies, regulatory agencies and customers.  Criteria for the design, execution, and interpretation of validation studies are often unavailable or unclear for control measures beyond traditional canning, acidification, or pasteurization.  A wide range of products are subjected to processing steps that provide varying levels of pathogen reduction.  The approach used for almond process validation has provided an example of the establishment by an industry segment of standardized criteria for the design and evaluation of a challenging process.   This session discusses approaches to validation of control measures and control measure combinations as well as the qualification and role of an expert Process Authority in determining the credibility of process validation.

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