Product testing and environmental pathogen monitoring programs can be used to verify the implementation and effectiveness of preventative controls as appropriate to the facility processing steps and the nature of the food. Each monitoring program is essential to reduce the contamination of human pathogens in ready to eat (RTE) food products. Although both testing programs were not included in the current proposed preventive control rule of the US food safety modernization act (FSMA), a facility is expected to have written procedures for product testing, environmental monitoring, and corrective actions to address the presence of a pathogen in RTE products or in the processing environment. How to react to positive test results found in product testing and environmental monitoring has not been well illustrated and communicated. The objective of this symposium is to share the experience in finished product testing and environmental monitoring by food safety experts with hands on experiences. The symposium will be focused on the corrective actions when positive results are found to help improve product testing and environmental monitoring programs for food manufacturing plants.

Presentations