6 replies to this topic

[netakm]

Hello

I am looking for microbiological standards according to the EU regulation for dry final products, such as Muesli, Cereal bars and as such. I need the data for non-pathogenic bacteria such as total acount, coliforms, etc. 

I have tried to find this info via the internt (incliding search in the relevant websites) with no sucesses. 

 

Would appreciate your help and if someone can send me a direct link it would be great. 

 

Thank you

Neta

[Esther]

Hello Neta

 

I was in a similar situation when working with a cheese maker company. I did find studies made on cheese although in other very different kind of cheese to ours. Also I was asking to people involved with the cheese manufacturing. Finally I did not find what I was looking for so the way I did address the situation is as follow. From the starting point ( with high levels of coliforms in my opinion) I did plan a challenging goal: cero coliforms. That is called continious improvement. Regards

[Charles.C]

Hi Neta,

 

Offhand, afaik, the only EC issued compilation of micro. standards is that associated with (EC) No 2073/2005 which i am sure you are familiar with already. IIRC this focuses on pathogenic microorganisms.

 

IMEX every country in the EC has its own opinions regarding non-pathogenic micro standards, and sometimes pathogenic ones also.

 

At one time a FAO compilation of various European Countries' micro standards (inc. I think some non-pathogens) for a range of food categories did exist but likely no longer maintained.

 

PS - Welcome to the Forum !

[netakm]

Thank you very much for your answer and thanks for the welcoming  :) 
You mentioned an info that I was not aware of it.

Good to know. 

 

Cheers

Neta
 

[MQA]

Hi there,

 

I do not have standards for the EU, but perhaps the attached documents may shed some light on targets that you can meet. 

 

 

Attached Files

•  Compendium of Microbiological Criteria.pdf   1.13MB   70 downloads
•  NSW Bakery micro ed 08.pdf   5.35MB   60 downloads
•  WQA ed 08 Micro and chemical.pdf   576.05KB   57 downloads
•  AOAC Food Microbiology.pdf   681.16KB   57 downloads
•  ICMSF - Micro Organisms in Food - Book 02.pdf   812.8KB   61 downloads

[netakm]

Thank you very much for the files! certainly could be helpful (especially in this case when the EU standards do not say much about the topic)
 

[Charles.C]

Thank you very much for the files! certainly could be helpful (especially in this case when the EU standards do not say much about the topic)
 

 

Hi netakm,

 

The fact is that the EC tends to focus (but not 100% exclusively) on pathogens (= safety = HACCP).

 

TPC, and particularly Coliforms, generic E.coli are mostly regarded as hygiene indicators. The last named is quantitated in the EC reg along with, from memory, Enterobacteriaceae.

 

Individual countries tend to go their own way with respect to limits. There are detailed compilations attached on  this forum for RTE foods in UK, France for example. And an older compilation across a quite wide range issued by ICMSF which focuses on Europe. The huge ICMSF volume Microorganisms in Foods vol 6 also, I think, focuses on Europe/pathogens.

 

Basically, a lot of Euro/Scandinavian-data for yr micro. parameters probably does exist but unfortunately very little is compiled in one place. A lot of it is also not on-line.