The Department of Defense (DOD) requested that the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) provide guidance on the development of microbiological criteria for indicators of process control or insanitary conditions that could be used by DOD in its evaluation of food suppliers, world-wide. While recognizing the importance of multiple food supplier programs that should be implemented and evaluated, e.g., statistical process control and sanitation effectiveness monitoring, NACMCF recognized that in many situations DOD must evaluate supplier suitability using standardized microbiological sampling and testing programs that could provide an indication of poor process control or insanitary conditions. For 47 food categories commonly procured by DOD, the NACMCF report presents generic process flow diagrams with process steps identified where microbial contamination, microbial growth, pathogen reduction, and microbiological sampling may occur. For each food category, environmental monitoring program target microorganisms are recommended, along with microbiological limits recommended for use under routine and non-routine circumstances. The report recommends actions to be taken, if these microbiological limits are exceeded. The report, also, provides valuable insight into establishment of microbiological criteria for use in a statistical process control regime. The NACMCF sub-committee preparing this report was Co-Chaired by Robert (Skip) Seward and Jeff Kornacki and the report was recently published on line at www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/2ea3f473-cd12-4333-a28e-b2385454c967/NACMCF-Report-Process-Control-061015.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

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