A guide to reducing the risk of E. colicross-contamination at your food production site, covering everything from effective segregation to hand washing best practise.

Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Coliforms are commonly used as indicator organisms for faecal contamination in water and other environmental samples. The presence of these organisms usually points to poor hygiene at some stage of the production process or a polluted water source.

Certain strains of E. coli are harmless to humans, but others like E. coli O157:H7 can cause serious illness, especially amongst vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and anyone with an underlying health condition or a weakened immune system.

To help you reduce the risks of cross-contamination at your site, we’ve created the following guide – featuring five key ways that you can defend against harmful strains of E. coli and Coliforms.

1. Segregate vulnerable products/ingredients

E. coli is usually found in raw meat and dairy products or contaminated fresh produce. Your site’s segregation policy should already keep these items separate from ready-to-eat products and the equipment used to prepare them. However, it’s vital that E. coli risk reduction is highlighted as a key reason for this, helping your team to understand the ‘Why?’ behind their efforts. You should also view this as an opportunity to emphasise how essential it is to wash/prepare vulnerable raw ingredients before they enter other areas of production. Colour-coded equipment and instructional signs will reinforce these messages.

2. Drive standards of hand-hygiene

Poor hand hygiene is another common cause of E. coli cross-contamination. This makes it all the more vital that your team are thoroughly washing their hands. Even if they put on gloves before entering production, there is still a risk that their bare hands will have compromised the PPE. When establishing hand washing best practise, the A3 system could prove invaluable. Capable of detecting all forms of organic residue, it provides an accurate picture of how clean someone’s hands are before and after washing. You can then highlight the tried-and-tested method via ongoing training, bespoke signage and customised washroom mirrors.

Read our guide to ensuring hand-washing best practise

3. Around the Clock Temperature Monitoring

The rate at which E. coli grows is heavily impacted by temperature. For instance, at temperatures below 5°C (chilled), the growth of E. coli slows. It then slows further when temperatures drop to -18°C (frozen). To ensure your products are stored under the correct conditions, a popular solution is to introduce a Wireless Temperature Monitoring System. This will automatically track key parameters, even sending instant alerts when they are breached. If your products undergo processes such as heating, chilling, steaming ect… you can also use In-Process Validation Logging to ensure they reach the correct temperatures.

4. Establish an effective testing strategy

When it comes to establishing an effective testing strategy, you need to identify the key testing points at your factory. Typically, sites will test areas that handle raw materials like meat, milk, and vegetables. They will then test areas that handle finished products, especially items that are ready-to-eat. The testing of processing equipment, surfaces, and water sources is also essential.

There are a variety of test types to consider, suited to a wide range of areas and applications.

  • Most Probable Number (MPN) Tests: often used to detect viable E. coli cells in areas that handle water and dairy products.
  • Petrifilm/Agar-based Coliform and E. coli Count Tests: commonly used as an indicator of general hygiene during hygiene checks or the screening of raw materials.
  • PCR-based Tests: typically used to detect pathogenic E. coli in areas that handle ready-to-eat, high-risk products.
  • ELISA Tests (linked to enzymes): used to detect toxins or specific antigens.
  • Chromogenic Agar Tests: often used in areas that handle raw meat and poultry.

Quantitative Swab-based Tests are often carried out in areas where rapid results are required. Typically, factories will use Environmental Tests that are quick to produce results, as this allows them to act fast to prevent a food safety incident. Klipspringer E. coli test kits also ensure your collected samples remain viable for further testing, so in the event of a positive result, you can send the same sample away to an external lab – saving time and reducing costs.

Learn more about our Environmental Swab-based test for E. coli and Coliforms

5. Secure the Engagement of your Team

Finally, you need to secure the engagement of your operatives. As mentioned above, this will involve highlighting the ‘Why?’ behind their work. Real-life case studies are always compelling, as are statistics that convey the potential consequences of an E. coli outbreak e.g. on average, across the globe, 1,600,000 people fall ill due to unsafe food every day.

Key learnings should include the importance of hand washing, thoroughly cleaning equipment, and enforcing segregation. You should also stress how vital it is that your team don’t come in if they are presenting with certain symptoms.

That brings us to the end of our guide to reducing the risk of E. coli cross-contamination at your food production site. We hope it has given you a better idea of how to drive standards in this area.

If you have any questions relating to the management of E. coli and Coliforms or the solutions mentioned throughout this article, our in-house team of experts are here to help.

You can contact them directly on 01473 461 800 or sales@klipspringer.com. Alternatively, you can fill out the contact form below and one of our friendly team members will be in touch.

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