2013 ISPAM Mid-Year Mtg Book

January June 2012 comments (DRAFT) New draft: June November 2012 for discussion

Health Products and Food Branch Ottawa

Part 5: Guidelines to Verify Standard Food Microbiological Methods for Implementation in Routine Testing

Microbiological Methods Committee Microbiology Evaluation Division

Bureau of Microbial Hazards, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Health Canada Postal locator: 2204E Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9

E-mail: micro_methods_committee@hc-sc.gc.ca

1. Application The purpose of this document is to provide guidelines for the verification of standard food microbiological methods in a laboratory. The following general requirements were elaborated from national and international procedures guidelines (6.1 to 6.7). 2. Description Verification is the provision of objective evidence that a given item fulfils specified requirements. In the context of this document, verification applies to the implementation of a standard method for the first time in a laboratory and serves to demonstrate the capacity of the laboratory to properly operate it. This process can also be used for the reinstatement of a method after a period of disuse, or when a standard method is updated. Verification is different from validation or familiarization. Standard Method – A method that has been exhaustively studied validated and described in a clear and accurate the conditions of these tests. These methods are considered standard reference method because they can be use to evaluate other method developed for the same determination a method that has and found to meet all the requirement of the Compendium of method or those of been accepted by an authoritative bod yies and published in an international, regional or national method repository. Canadian standard food microbiology methods are published in the Compendium of Analytical Methods. 3. Definitions 3.1

Comment [ii1]: ACTION : New version of definition- TG to review, comments

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