Food safety expertise

Listeria in the environment: a warning sign, yes – an automatic product recall, no

Listeria in the environment: a warning sign, yes – an automatic product recall, no

HACCP
Crisis Management
Food Safety
Recall Management
Risk Management

A positive environmental Listeria result is a serious warning sign. However, it does not automatically prove that the product is also contaminated, and therefore it does not always trigger an immediate recall. Key factors include the specific pathogen detected, the hygiene zone, proximity to the product, the type of food, shelf life, and any relevant product test results.

Shelf life is more than pathogen control

Shelf life is more than pathogen control

Food Safety
Food Hygiene
Microbiology
Validation
Food Safety

When is a food product actually no longer shelf-stable? When pathogens are detectable? When the total bacterial count exceeds a certain value? Or when consumers no longer accept the product? A recent study on fresh chicken breast shows how varied these answers can be. A reliable determination of shelf life must not only consider pathogens and general bacterial count thresholds. It must also take into account which spoilage organisms are actually growing, what metabolic products they produce, and when a product is no longer sensorially acceptable.

Cleaning under control

Cleaning under control

Food Safety
Food Hygiene
Food Safety
Microbiology

Cleaning and disinfection are often viewed as routine. They are anything but. They are a process that must be scientifically grounded, validated, and continuously monitored, as they determine the microbiological safety of an entire operation. In industrial production, this process is frequently outsourced to specialized cleaning service providers. While this makes sense, it does not absolve the company of its responsibility.

Hitze im Betrieb: Belastungstest für das Prüfmanagement

Hitze im Betrieb: Belastungstest für das Prüfmanagement

Food Safety
Food Hygiene
HACCP
Risk Management
Microbiology

Hitze macht nicht alles sofort gefährlich, sie verkürzt nur Ihre Reaktionszeit. Warum Abklatsch, Reinigung und Kühlkette im Sommer enger geprüft gehören.

"Plant-based" is now defined: What ISO 8700:2025 means for labeling, quality management, and product release

"Plant-based" is now defined: What ISO 8700:2025 means for labeling, quality management, and product release

LMIV label
Food law
HACCP
Declaration

"Plant-based" is internationally defined for the first time by ISO 8700:2025. This clarifies what companies must consider in the future when labeling and promoting plant-based foods.

Three EU Regulations in Six Months: Karlsruhe Symposium Puts the Regulatory Wave into Perspective

Three EU Regulations in Six Months: Karlsruhe Symposium Puts the Regulatory Wave into Perspective

Food law

Verschärfte Listeria-Kriterien, neue Verpackungsverordnung und Entwaldungsverordnung treffen die Lebensmittelwirtschaft fast gleichzeitig. Das 11. Karlsruher Lebensmittelsymposium liefert am 30. September und 1. Oktober 2026 die fachliche Einordnung.

Publications & Technical Papers

Practical experience — passed on in specialist literature, training courses and contributions on food safety.

Dr. Andrea Dreusch

Director Food Safety Senior Experts, Microbiologist & Food Safety Expert

With decades of experience in audits, quality management and crisis situations, she combines scientific principles with operational practice. Her publications make complex topics such as HACCP, food safety culture and risk analysis understandable and directly applicable. For companies that not only pass certifications, but also want to sustainably improve their systems.

Lebensmittelsicherheitskultur
Hygiene and microbiology
Allergens — compact and understandable