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There is a legal requirement for food business operators to take action when the criteria have not been met. The action required is different for the two different types of criteria.

Food safety criteria

Failure to meet the criteria must result in the product being withdrawn from the market.  In addition steps must be taken to ensure that future production meets the criteria.  The Salmonella criteria in minced meat, meat preparations, MSM and meat products are food safety criteria.

Process hygiene criteria

Corrective action must be instigated to find why the criteria were not met and steps taken to ensure that future production will meet the criteria. The Salmonella criteria on meat carcasses and the total aerobic count, E. coli and Enterobacteriaceae criteria on meat and processed meat are process hygiene criteria.  In meat plants the corrective actions will fall into distinct areas and should be following HACCP principles.

Actions to be required from suppliers of animals

• Investigation of the biosecurity and hygiene on the farm and transport to the abattoir.

Actions in the abattoir

• Investigation of the hygiene of slaughter and dressing.

• Improvement of the clarity of instructions issued to staff and increased staff training.

• Improved cleaning of process equipment and the lairage.

• Scheduling animals from farms with a history of salmonella last in the day.

• Undertaking special conditions during slaughter of animals with a history of Salmonella.

• Undertake serotyping of Salmonella positive isolates to help identify the source

Actions in the meat processing plant

• Investigate the hygiene of production.

• Investigate the supply of meat.

• Investigate cleaning effectiveness in the production environment and equipment   

• Review operator training

• Undertake serotyping of Salmonella positive isolates to help identify the source