By Palova D. Marques, SQF Latin American Business Development Representative
Environmental monitoring is crucial in pet food manufacturing to detect contamination risks from pathogens 
like Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. It acts as a verification of the pathogen controls that a site has in place and protects product safety, brand reputation, and consumer health.
In pet food manufacturing, invisible threats can hide in plain sight. Dust from a mixer, residue on a conveyor, or moisture near a packaging line can create ideal conditions for Salmonella and Listeria to persist. An environmental monitoring program, when properly implemented, identifies sources of contamination and mitigates them, ensuring the safety of pets and people while maintaining brand integrity across all production batches.
What Environmental Monitoring Means
An environmental monitoring program includes pathogen or indicator swabbing, as appropriate, to detect risk in the sanitary conditions in the food handling environment.
Under the SQF Food Safety Code for Manufacturing, environmental monitoring is a key verification activity that demonstrates continuous control of the facility's environment. The data it produces help sites evaluate pathogen controls, identify hotspots, and take corrective action before contamination reaches a finished product.
Why Pet Food Plants Face Unique Risks
Pet food manufacturers operate in environments that combine low-moisture processing and high-protein ingredients, a combination that challenges even well-run facilities. Low-water activity doesn't guarantee safety; in fact, Salmonella can survive dry conditions and persist in equipment crevices, dust, or floor drains for months. Because many pet food lines include post-kill handling steps such as coating or packaging, facilities must be especially vigilant about cross-contamination. An effective environmental monitoring program fills this gap by providing early signals that something in the environment has changed and needs attention.
From Finding to Preventing
An environmental monitoring program should never be viewed as a "pass or fail" test. Finding positives is not failure, it's feedback. Positive results show that the system is sensitive enough to detect risk and that the site is acting on data rather than assumptions.
When a swab comes back positive, the goal is to investigate methodically:
- Identify where and why contamination occurred
- Expand sampling in the affected zone
- Sanitize and verify effectiveness
- Analyze results to prevent recurrence
These actions reflect the continuous-improvement mindset built into the SQF Code and reinforce a healthy food safety culture where teams focus on prevention rather than blame.
What Auditors Expect
Auditors look for programs that are documented, risk-based, and routinely reviewed by management. They'll expect to see sampling plans that address different zones (from product-contact to non-contact areas), consistent testing frequency, and data trending over time. More importantly, they look for evidence of learning; proof that the site responds, verifies, and adapts based on environmental monitoring results.
Getting Started
Whether your site already has an environmental monitoring program or is just developing one, the key is structure: having defined zones, a realistic sampling schedule, and clear corrective-action procedures. Consistency builds confidence, with your own team, your auditor, and your retail customers.
Get Audit-Ready With Our Free Pet Food Scorecard
Are you confident your pet food manufacturing practices meet today’s industry standards? Take our free Pet Food Manufacturing Readiness Scorecard to gain a clean snapshot of where your site stands today and what you should focus on next.
By taking the scorecard you'll:
Spot Hidden Gaps: From good manufacturing practices to emergency preparedness, you’ll quickly identify areas that need attention so you’re not caught off-guard.
Reduce Risk, Build Confidence: A strong score means you’re better equipped to protect pet health, your brand reputation, and your bottom line.
Access Bonus Resources: Once you complete the scorecard, you’ll unlock additional tools like industry reports, checklists, and guides, so you don’t just know what you need to do, you have the resources to do it.
