Sampling of minced meat and meat preparations 

• Anyone who produces minced meat and/or meat preparations must comply with the relevant requirements of Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005.
• Therefore, samples must be taken by the food business operator or by a laboratory commissioned by them and then subjected to microbiological testing. Depending on the results of the laboratory testing, the food business operator may have to take action.

How should sampling be carried out? 

• For details on how to sample minced meat and/or meat preparations produced in your establishment, please refer to the tables in Chapter 1 (Nos. 1.3, 1.4-1.6, 1.8) and Chapter 2.1 (Nos. 2.1.6 and 2.1.8) of Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005.
• Please also pay particular attention to the level specified there for which the individual microbiological criterion applies, as well as the corresponding sampling plan. 

What should be done if the results are unsatisfactory?

• In the event of unsatisfactory results, you must initiate the respective measures specified in the aforementioned regulation. These range from improving manufacturing hygiene to recalling products from the market.

How often must samples be taken? 

• For minced meat and meat preparations, specific sampling frequencies (weekly or fortnightly sampling intervals) have been laid down in Chapter 3 of Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005. Only small businesses may deviate from these sampling frequencies if this is justified on the basis of a risk analysis and has been approved by the competent veterinary authority.
• The competent supervisory authority grants such approvals upon application by the food business operator. The basis for the decision on an application is § 15 of the AVV Food Hygiene and the BLL guideline (Guideline for good practice for adjusting the sampling frequency in establishments producing small quantities of minced meat and meat preparations).
• Establishments that undertake to comply with this guideline, can demonstrate an individual risk management concept, and produce no more than 2.5 tons of minced meat and 5 tons of meat preparations per week should be granted an exemption.
• The sampling frequency for minced meat and meat preparations will then be determined on an individual basis, in deviation from Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005.

This leaves you with two options:

1. You carry out weekly/fortnightly self-monitoring tests in accordance with Regulation (EC) No. 2073, or 
2. You apply for an exemption to reduce the sampling frequency (in which case you would only need to carry out self-monitoring tests once a year).

• However, the testing parameters are the same in both cases and are listed on page 12 of the BLL guideline. (Contrary to the BLL guideline, however, ready-to-eat minced meat and ready-to-eat meat preparations are still considered foodstuffs that fall under Annex I, Chapter 1, No. 1.3 of Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005. Therefore, sampling for Listeria cannot be omitted.) However, it is possible to reduce the sampling frequency.
• Documents relating to specific risk management criteria (see BLL Guideline IV b) are particularly relevant to the application and must therefore be submitted. The BLL Guideline provides assistance with the wording of an application. In any case, please confirm that you will carry out the test for Listeria monocytogenes as described above.
• In addition, Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005 recommends sampling the production and processing environment using contact or swab samples to detect any pathogenic microorganisms that may be present.

• In future, the results of your own-check tests in accordance with Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005 will also be checked more closely as part of the operational controls carried out by the food monitoring authorities. 
• You may need to use more than one information sheet if you produce or process food from several categories covered by Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005.