Templates and records · FSSC 22000 · Clause 2.5.7
FSSC 22000 environmental monitoring programme
Looking for pathogens in the production environment before they reach the product, with a risk-based plan and trend analysis.
In one sentence
The FSSC 22000 environmental monitoring programme defines, on the basis of risk, the sampling zones and sites, the pathogenic, spoilage or indicator organisms sought, the frequency, the limits and the actions on a positive result, with trend analysis, as the additional requirements in clause 2.5.7 require for the activity categories to which the scheme applies it.
- Where the standard requires it
- FSSC 22000 · Clause 2.5.7 Clauses beginning with 2.5 are additional requirements in Part 2 of FSSC 22000 Version 6; those of ISO 22000:2018 are explained in their own templates.
- Type of information
- Mandatory record Documented programme and results (FSSC 22000 v6, 2.5.7)
- Who fills it in
- Quality With an in-house or external laboratory
- When
- At the frequency in the plan More frequent in higher-risk zones; stepped up after a positive
- How long it is kept
- Set by the organisation ISO 22000 requires documented information to be retained without setting a period. It is sensible to cover the shelf life of the product with a margin, the applicable law and the three-year certification cycle.
What the standard requires
What FSSC 22000 demands and what it leaves to your judgement
FSSC requires a risk-based environmental monitoring programme that includes, as a minimum, a procedure for evaluating the effectiveness of controls against contamination of the manufacturing environment, a sampling plan with zones, sites and frequencies, and review of trends in the results.
It is usual to divide the plant into zones by proximity to the product — from contact surfaces to remote areas — and to look for indicators and pathogens such as Listeria in ready-to-eat products.
For Listeria monocytogenes, Regulation (EC) 2073/2005 already requires manufacturers of certain ready-to-eat foods to sample processing areas and equipment.
Structure
Fields the template should include
- Sampling zone and site
- Organism sought
- Frequency and timing (during production or after cleaning)
- Limit or criterion
- Result and date
- Action on a positive: cleaning, resampling, holding product
- Trend analysis
Example
Example: zone 2 positive at a fictitious fresh cheese plant
Company, people and figures are fictitious: the example only shows what a properly completed record looks like.
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Site | Zone 2 · moulding table frame |
| Organism | Listeria spp. |
| Frequency | Weekly during production |
| Result | 7 May 2026 · positive for Listeria spp. |
| Action | Deep clean · 5 resamples in zones 1 and 2 · the day's product held and tested: not detected |
| Follow-up | 3 consecutive negative weeks · normal frequency |
| Trend | Second positive at that site this year · the frame is replaced with one without crevices |
At the audit
Mistakes auditors commonly flag
- Always the same sites, chosen because they are easy.
- Sampling only after cleaning, when everything comes back negative.
- Positives with no resampling and no action on the product.
- No trend analysis.
- The plan is not reviewed after building work or equipment changes.
In Kimobox
How this record is kept in Kimobox
- 1Sampling sites are defined by zone and the task appears at its frequency.
- 2Laboratory results are recorded against their criterion and a positive opens an incident.
- 3Trends by site and zone show up in indicators calculated from the real data.
- 4Holding and release of the product are kept in the same record.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask us before getting started
What are sampling zones?
A classification of the plant by proximity to the product: zone 1 is the contact surface, zone 2 what is adjacent, zone 3 the rest of the production area and zone 4 remote areas. It is industry practice, not a literal requirement.
Are pathogens or indicators sought?
Both, depending on the risk. Indicators give quick information on hygiene; pathogens, on the real risk to the product.
What happens after a positive?
The cause is investigated, the area is cleaned and resampled, the product is evaluated and the frequency is stepped up until the site is confirmed to be under control.
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Sources
Where each figure comes from
References to the official text in force. If a standard is revised, this page is updated and the review date says so.
- FSSC 22000 Version 6 — Scheme requirements (Part 2, additional requirements) Foundation FSSC · Published 31 March 2023
- Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs EUR-Lex · 15 November 2005
- ISO/TS 22002-1:2009 — Prerequisite programmes. Food manufacturing ISO · 2009 ed.