Microbiological limits in ready to eat food in the USA (et al)

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if there were any list of microbiological limits in ready to eat food in the USA.

I couldn't find any. I am specially concerned about frozen desserts, since it is the type of products we are looking to export to the USA.

Thanks a lot for your help

Hi everyone,

 

I was wondering if there were any list of microbiological limits in ready to eat food in the USA.

 

I couldn't find any. I am specially concerned about frozen desserts, since it is the type of products we are looking to export to the USA.

 

Thanks a lot for your help

Hi Michel,

Welcome to the Forum ! :welcome:

Some info. via Google -

Frozen Desserts, micro..doc   227KB   230 downloads

addendum

JFI here is another (non-USA)  micro.standard i noticed elsewhere -

frozen dessert GSO draft micro.std,2014.pdf   30.49KB   135 downloads

This document can help you....

This document can help you....

Hi jel,

Thks for the Guidelines (2011). Not sure if this is the official list of microbiological recommendations for food imports into Canada ?.

I hope not since the Table (1) of limits is IMO a typographical and numerical disaster, eg the last 5 rows, etc.

The limits look 75% based on the UK, RTE Guidelines with some occasional changes, eg the curious RTE/APC limit and the omission of any reference to S.aureus.

Regardless. an interesting document. Thks again.

Hi Michel

Attached may be help you for reference.

Please see attached references for Ontario & Quebec (Canada).

Public Health Ontario reference 

http://www.publichea..._Guide_2013.pdf

MAPAQ (Quebec) - useful because it provides criteria for various food categories, and also references the Health Canada official methods. It's in French - to my knowledge an English version is not available, thankfully Google Translate is Free!

http://www.mapaq.gou...ons/recueil.pdf

Health Canada - Official Methods for the Microbiological Analysis of Foods

http://www.hc-sc.gc....volume1-eng.php

Best Regards,

Theresa

Hi Theresa,

Welcome to the Forum ! :welcome:

Many thanks for the above links and particularly the MAPAQ data (2009) which is interesting and useful. I think a previous edition has been posted here before. The structure/content looks to maybe owe a big Thank-you to France's Official Microbiological Specifications for Foods. Also unavailable in English afaik.

Interesting to compare the microbiological opinions in Ontario and Quebec. Looks like the latter's inhabitants may have a more tolerant viewpoint of the general bacterial levels in their RTE cooked meat (="Food"), ie APC max. limits of 10^5(Pg 34)  vs 10^6(Pg21) respectively. Personally I find the former's expectations rather optimistic unless they have a diet based on Coldwater Seafood. :smile:

I rather doubt that USA use Quebec suggestions for frozen dessert (Pg35) though, eg APC <~ (5 x 10^4) cfu/g. But maybe.

Hi Michel

 

Attached may be help you for reference.

Hi Nuch,

Thks for the DOD/NACMCF (2015) (192 Pgs!) lengthy statistical analysis/data compilation on, particularly safety-related, micro.food specs.

Includes a vast amount of cross-refs to particularly (but not exclusively) US related official documentation.

I fear the SPC and related stuff would need a batallion of employees/Statistics Dept to implement in detail but very interesting nonetheless.

Some of the compiled limits are as usual debatable but nonetheless a very useful and comprehensive category-based approach.

Recent authoritative articles on this topic seem quite rare. Thks again.

PS - One negative comment (unless i missed it) is that there seems no mention/reference to the UK/HPA micro compilation (ca 2010) for RTE foods (or its PHLS predecessors) which is/are utilised in several other National collections (eg Post4).

Hi Michel,

i fractionally expanded yr original Title in view of the previous Posts.

Should state that afaik, there are no, current, comprehensive compilations across the Food Industry of official USA micro. specs (corrections welcome !). But there are some National ones for individual categories for import purposes, eg Seafood.

There is also IIRC a quite extensive list of US State micro.limits for certain micro.criteria/foods in the well-known Food Microbiology textbook due to Jay (many editions).

The section extract attached below from a classic (1985) US Publication contains a highly detailed survey of the then existing US official Microbiological Limits (Tables are at the end).

The same document activated the expansion of HACCP as a recommended, proactive, methodology for ensuring Food Safety in comparison to End-Product analyses.

Current (1985) Status of Microbiological Criteria and Legislative Bases.pdf   176.83KB   216 downloads

Hello all!

Thanks a lot for your help, and all the useful information.

It seems that the frozen dessert we want to export is the "Mellorine" category according to the FDA, not ice cream (with vegetable fat instead of milk fat).

I haven't found any microbiological criteria for this category of product. I assume it is because the product must be pasteurized, and is kept frozen.

So there is no specific micriobiological standards we should respect, am I right?

Thanks again

Michel. S

Hello all!

 

Thanks a lot for your help, and all the useful information.

 

It seems that the frozen dessert we want to export is the "Mellorine" category according to the FDA, not ice cream (with vegetable fat instead of milk fat).

 

I haven't found any microbiological criteria for this category of product. I assume it is because the product must be pasteurized, and is kept frozen.

 

So there is no specific micriobiological standards we should respect, am I right?

 

Thanks again

 

Michel. S

Hi Michel,

The usual recommendation where no (local) knowledge is available is to consult yr USA  importer  since they are required to work with customs/FDA. They have to know.

I am trying to locate for microbiological criteria for food stuffs in general in USA. Especially total APC and yeast & mold. Any suggestions.