What does regulatory performance criteria 'm/M' represent?

• A. The minimum acceptable bacterial counts
• B. The average bacterial load across carcasses
• C. The highest expected bacterial loads on carcasses when the slaughter process is under control
• D. The target reduction percentage

Answer: (C)

In regulatory performance criteria, m and M define a range for what’s expected when the process is under control. The letter M represents the upper limit of that expected range—the highest bacterial load you would anticipate on carcasses if the slaughter process is functioning properly. Values above M suggest the process may be out of control and corrective action is needed. The other options describe minimum, average, or a target reduction, which don’t capture this upper-bound concept.