Under the Preventive Controls for Human Food regulation, manufacturers of ready-to-eat spices must have validated process controls to ensure that Salmonella and other known pathogens are effectively controlled. Since it is typically resource-prohibitive and redundant to run a validation study on every single product produced by a spice company, ASTA has assisted its members in developing a science-based approach to validation that involves conducting a study on a representative product of a group of spices, rather than every different commodity. The updated ASTA Guidance on Science-Based Groupings and Report on Microbial Inhibition of E. Faecium, along with this webinar, will provide an update on the ASTA guidance and scientific evidence regarding validation for spices. The presenters, Jim Dickson, Iowa State University and Maile Hermida, Hogan Lovells, and ASTA General Counsel, explore the latest scientific evidence on key factors for selecting a representative “worse case” scenario for groupings and the impact of microbial inhabitation on validations. The webinar included a review of the regulatory requirements related to validation and an overview of the ASTA resources that have been developed on this topic. ASTA previously offered the ASTA Webinar Series on Validation of Microbial Reduction Processes and published a White Paper on Process Validation. During ASTA Online in 2020, the FDA presented Validation Information for Spice Companies. Then, during ASTA Online 2021, there was a Panel Discussion on Science-Based Groupings for Spice Validations. Registrants of this webinar will get access to all of these resources in advance of the session.

Microbiology of Spices is a four-part series that is now available for companies to supplement employee training on Salmonella and other pathogens. Participants in the original live series recommend it for your employees in purchasing, product development, and processing to gain a better understanding of why spices can be contaminated with pathogens such as Salmonella, the challenges of testing, mitigation strategies, and the importance of verification and validation. The series features Dr. James Dickson of Iowa State University, who provides scientific information to those without a science background. All employees in the spice industry have a role in food safety…this series will ensure a better understanding of the importance of strategies to ensure clean, safe spice. Part I/II – Intro to Microbiology of Spices is two 45-minute sessions designed to give the non-microbiologists in your company an overview of FDA’s concerns, a broad understanding of potential points of contamination, key concepts in microbiology and how problems can be controlled or reduced. These sessions will also feature the basics of testing, the role testing plays in risk management, and the importance of process validation and verification, all with an eye toward complying with the new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).