Selecting Microorganisms for Environmental Monitoring Verification
Course details
Self-Paced eLearning
49.00
30 Min
Dr. Gene Bartholomew
Environmental monitoring helps verify that food production environments remain sanitary and do not introduce pathogens into food products. Selecting appropriate microorganisms is an important part of an Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP) and should be based on product risks, processing conditions, and regulatory expectations.
This course explains how to select suitable microorganisms for environmental monitoring and outlines practical considerations for building and maintaining an effective EMP.
Benefits and Learning Objectives
After completing this course, participants will be able to:
- Review the purpose of an Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP)
- Understand where to begin when evaluating product and processing risks
- Identify common microorganisms included in EMPs
- Recognize regulatory and historical considerations related to environmental monitoring
- Describe hygienic zones within a facility and sampling zone concepts
- Identify recommended test organisms and key cautions when selecting them
Who Should Attend?
- Food Safety Managers
- Quality Assurance Managers
- Quality Control Managers
- Sanitation Managers
- Microbiologists
- Laboratory Personnel
- Regulatory Affairs Specialists
- Operations Managers
- Plant Managers
- Environmental Monitoring Program Coordinators
- Food Safety Consultants
- Internal Auditors
Registration and Payment
To register for this course, please visit our training portal.
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Vice President, Technical Services
IEH Laboratories & Consulting Group
Meet the Instructor
Dr. Gene Bartholomew
Dr. Gene Bartholomew joined IEH as Vice President of Technical Services in 2019. He earned an M.S. and Ph.D. in microbiology from Cornell University and a B.S. in biology from Bucknell University. Dr. Bartholomew began his professional career at International Paper in 1983 as a research scientist.
During his 15 years there, he commercialized and validated an aseptic packaging system, managed a beverage pilot plant and its laboratory, started taste panel testing for the company, and advanced to manage several product development groups. Dr. Bartholomew then joined Smithfield Foods Packaged Meats. He started in the John Morrell Group as the corporate director of food safety for 7 meat processing and slaughter facilities and 1 spice plant. He later took on the role of Senior Director of Corporate Food Safety, during which he was responsible for 14 meat processing plants and several FDA-regulated plants.
Throughout his 20-year career at Smithfield, he led HACCP plan design and validation, thermal processing, regulatory compliance, sanitation, allergen control and environmental pathogen monitoring. He also managed a corporate microbiology laboratory and its accreditation, and has certifications in HACCP training, BRC and SQF schemes, and is a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual. Dr. Bartholomew was a founding member of the North American Meat Institute Listeria Control Workshop and has taught numerous courses to members of the food industry.