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Microbiological reference values for foods: a European perspective.

D A Mossel¹, P Van Netten

¹Eijkman Foundation, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.

Journal - Association of Official Analytical Chemists

|March 1, 1991

Summary

Microbiological criteria in food safety monitoring help detect processing failures. Emphasis is placed on using indicator organisms and validated methods for reliable food hygiene assessment.

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Area of Science:

Food Microbiology
Food Safety Assurance
Industrial Microbiology

Background:

Microbiological criteria are essential for monitoring food products and meals from manufacturing and catering.
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) aim to eliminate hazardous practices, with monitoring focused on detecting and correcting accidental failures.

Purpose of the Study:

To critically examine the selection and application of microbiological criteria for food safety.
To assess the ecological significance of various microbial indicators for hygiene and handling deficiencies.

Main Methods:

Selection of criteria based on major ecological significance to minimize monitoring parameters.
Critical evaluation of pathogenic organisms, toxin formers, and "marker" organisms (indicator/index organisms).
Application of validated, standardized methods, often including resuscitation steps and expert interpretation.
Derivation of numerical reference values using mathematical treatment of GMP-validated product data.

Main Results:

Indicator organisms are frequently used due to the erratic distribution of pathogens.
The study critically examines Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, and mitis-salivarius streptococci.
Numerical reference values, tolerance limits, and recommended policies are derived from GMP data.

Conclusions:

Careful selection of ecologically significant "marker" organisms is crucial for effective food safety monitoring.
Validated methods and appropriate sampling plans (e.g., 3-class plans) are necessary for interpreting results.
Microbiological criteria, when properly applied, ensure the detection and correction of failures in food production and preparation.

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