Test parameters for sanitation validation for dry mixing / blending

My company does mixing and blending of dry ingredients and raw materials such as preservatives, thickening agents, and sweeteners. We are preparing for BRC and I am having trouble finding what parameters/pathogens/microbes we should be swabbing and sampling for in our equipment and utensil sanitation procedure validation. I am not aware of any prescriptive standard for testing parameters, as I understand testing should be risk based for specific pathogens or parameters unique to the company's processes/products. The raw materials themselves that we mix are not prone to spontaneous growth of any pathogens, they are held at ambient temperature. I guess the only microbiological risks I can identify associated with the processing stage are those possibly introduced by personnel. I am getting an ATP meter in to help us with verification, and I understand I need to establish an RLU limit for what is clean or not clean. I intend to do this with the help of a third party lab but at this point am totally unclear what parameters / pathogens I need the lab to test for. 

I would appreciate if someone could elaborate on what pathogens/parameters I should be testing for when I validate equipment & utensil sanitation procedures. 

Hi jayh,

From a mainly micro.hygiene perspective see this thread -

http://www.ifsqn.com...ontact-surfaces

In the context of zoning/pathogens maybe see posts 33 et seq, especially perhaps Post 37 in the same thread.

(There are other threads also on this topic, particularly since FS Standards /Regulatory may vary with product/process).

An ATP approach is also feasible for hygiene but will not generally relate to micro. indicators (or pathogens) unless there is some fortuitous correlation with, for example, APC.