Total Plate count and YM standard limits for fruits and vegetables

Hi! Everyone...

Can I ask for any suggestions and brilliant ideas for the standard limit for TPC and YM in fresh fruits and vegetables?

berry micro.xlsx   9.94KB   24 downloads

Hi Umarie

You do not say whether these are raw materials or finished product & whether you intend to apply a heat step, or the country where the finished product is to be sold in?. 

That particular country or region may have definite standards & requirements for pesticide/mycotoxin/aflatoxin levels too.

All the above will have an effect on the standards you should be working to, and where you are sourcing the fruit/vegetables from - eg. are your suppliers accredited to any agricultural standard eg.global GAP?

Also for yeast/mould levels consider the structure of the fruit/vegetable - something like raspberries, which has a very fragile structure & thin skin, may have naturally higher levels of yeast/mould (hence TPC) due to damage of the berries during harvest.  So, if this is for a raw material standard, you may have to specify the level of damage you would accept to your supplier.

Attached are the levels I work to for berries, (excluding raspberries).

These are RTE standards require a sampling protocol to be applied (fruit & vegetables being a non homogenous commodity)

 One single standard may not work for every fruit & vegetable