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Salmonella & Listeria monocytogenes Proficiency Testing Scheme

Routine analytical testing of raw material, finished product and the environment are an integral part of verification activities for food manufacturing and processing operations. They provide critical information supporting:

Hygienic status and process controls
Supplier assurance
Process improvement
Market access
Compliance with operator and regulatory requirements

Salmonella and Listeria are recognized as two important causes of bacterial food borne diseases in many developed countries.

Global Proficiency offers a Proficiency Testing (PT) Scheme for Salmonella and Listeria for laboratories invloved in the routine analytical testing of raw material, finished product and the environment.

Salmonella & Listeria Background Information

Salmonella live in the intestinal tracts of humans and other animals, including birds. They are usually transmitted to humans by eating foods contaminated with animal faeces. Symptoms may last four to seven days, and include diarrhoea, fever, and abdominal cramps.

Listeria bacteria are widespread and commonly found in soil, silage, sewage, birds and animals. They have also been found in a variety of foods, including raw meat, raw vegetables and some processed foods. Listeria monocytogenes has been found to cause fever, headache, tiredness, aches and pains and more severely septicaemia and abortion.

Salmonella & Listeria Schedule

New Zealand Laboratories: Samples are despatched in February, April, June, August, October and December.

Australian Laboratories: Samples are despatched in February, June, August, and December.

Salmonella & Listeria Sample Description

Samples are offered as a four-sample set, consisting of freeze-dried vials with instructions for preparation of the samples. Participants are given up to two weeks to examine the samples and return results.

For on-line data entry please go to Global Proficiency's Virtual Proficiency

Salmonella and Listeria Test Details

Salmonella (Present/Absent)
Listeria Species (Present/Absent)
Listeria monocytogenes (Present/Absent)

Further tests may be made available upon request, depending on the number of interested participants.

Additional samples are available to test as reference materials, or for follow-up and clearing alerts incurred in the round.

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