Review on development of assigned value microbiological reference materials used in food testing

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Microbiology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Evolving food testing methods necessitate diverse microbiological reference materials (RM).
• Development in chemical RM significantly outpaces microbiological RM due to easier spiking and recovery.
• Challenges in microbiological RM development include recovery, stability, media, analysis methods, and matrix interferences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a global overview of microbiological RM availability.
• To discuss microbial preservation techniques and protective agents.
• To elaborate on developing various formats of microbiological RM for food testing.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of research articles on microbiological reference materials.
• Analysis of international depository agencies for RM availability.
• Synthesis of information on microbial preservation and RM development.

Main Results:

• Substantial development in chemical RM compared to microbiological RM.
• Limited research on complex food matrices and quantitative microbiological RM.
• Scarcity in the global availability of quantitative microbiological RM, with only three institutes in Europe providing them.

Conclusions:

• There is a significant gap in the availability of quantitative microbiological reference materials.
• Further research is needed to address challenges in developing and producing microbiological RM, especially for complex food matrices.
• Development of diverse formats of microbiological RM is crucial for advancing food testing.