Biosecurity in the food industry

Food biosecurity is the set of measures that prevent pathogenic microorganisms from entering and spreading in the plant and in food.

It is not a specific product or treatment, but a way of organising the plant to cut off the routes of contamination: raw materials, people, water, air, pests, equipment and surfaces. Its legal basis is Regulation (EC) 852/2004, which requires good hygiene practices and procedures based on HACCP to be applied. The organisms of greatest concern depend on the sector: Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat products, Salmonella in meat and eggs, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli in minced meat and raw vegetables.

The usual measures are:

• Separation of high- and low-risk areas, with flows of staff, materials and waste that do not cross.
• Staff hygiene: dedicated work clothing, hand washing and disinfection, control of access and visitors.
• Control of water, air and pests.
• A written cleaning and disinfection plan: what is cleaned, with which product, at what dose, how often and by whom.
• Verification with ATP bioluminescence, microbiological sampling of surfaces and environments, and recording of results and corrective actions.

Disinfection is only effective on a clean surface: organic matter protects microorganisms and uses up part of the disinfectant. That is why the order is always to remove the soil, clean, rinse, disinfect and, if the label says so, rinse again. The disinfectant must be registered for the use it is given and have efficacy tested to UNE-EN standards against the microorganisms of concern.

In livestock farming, the term also refers to the measures taken on farms to prevent the entry and spread of animal diseases.

More information: Cleaning and disinfection plan · Professional hand hygiene