TABLE 1.
European and German standards applied for the evaluation of viable cell counts with corresponding growth parameters.
| Target | Norm resp. analytical method | Culture medium | Growth temperature [°C] | Growth time [h] | Growth conditions |
| Aerobic mesophilic total viable count (TVC) | DIN EN ISO 4833-2:2013 | Plate count agar (PCA) | 30 | 72 | Aerobic |
| Spore-forming bacteria | DIN EN ISO 6887-1:1999 | Nutrient agar (NA) | 37 | 24 | Aerobic |
| E. coli | ISO 16649-2:2001:2001-04 | Tryptone bilex X-glucurronide (TBX) | 37 + 44 | 4 + 20 | Aerobic |
| Enterobacteriaceae | EN ISO 21528-2:2009-12 | Violet red bile dextrose agar (VRBG) | 37 | 24 | Aerobic |
| Enterococcus spp. | BVL L 06.00-32:1992-06 | Kanamycin asculin azide agar (KAA) | 37 + RT | 24 + 24 | Aerobic |
| Staphylococcus spp. | IS0 6888-1:1999/Amd.l:2003 (E) | Baird-Parker agar (BP) | 37 | 48 | Aerobic |
| B. cereus | EN ISO 7932:2005-03 | Polymyxin pyruvate egg-yolk mannitol–bromothymol blue agar (PEMBA) | 30 | 24 | Aerobic |
| C. perfringens | ISO 7937:2004-08 | Tryptose sulfite cycloserine agar (TSC) | 37 | 20 | Anaerobic |
| Yeasts and molds | ISO 21527-1:2008-07 | Dichloran-bengal red-chloramphenicol agar (DRBC) | 25 | 120 | Aerobic |
| Salmonella spp. | EN ISO 6579:2007-10 | Xylose-lysine deoxycholate agar (XLD); Brilliant green agar (BGA) | 37 | 24 | Aerobic |
| L. monocytogenes | EN ISO 11290-1:2005-01 | Polymyxin acriflavine lithium chloride ceftazidime aesculin mannitol agar (PALCAM), BrillianceTM Listeria | 37 | 24–48 | Aerobic |
| Campylobacter spp. | DIN EN ISO 10272-1:2017-09 | Campylobacter selective agar (CCDA); Skirrow agar | 42 | 44 | Microaerophilic |