Skip to main content
. 2021 Dec 8;11(12):3502. doi: 10.3390/ani11123502

Table 1.

Reference methods and limit of detection for the microbiological analyses of spoilage, pro-technological and pathogenic microorganisms.

Spoilage Microorganisms Reference Methods Microbiological Criteria (Limit of Detection)
Total bacterial count UNI 1 EN 2/ISO 3 4833-1:2013 Regulation (EC) No. 853/2004 [4]
Coliforms UNI ISO 4832:2006 Linee guida per l’analisi del rischio nel campo della microbiologia degli alimenti [15].
Enterobacteriaceae UNI EN/ISO 21528-2:2017 Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005 [3]
Escherichia coli
β-glucuronidase positive
UNI ISO 16649-2:2001 Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005 [3]
Psychrotrophic UNI ISO 17410: 2019 Conferenza Stato-Regioni 212/2016 [16]; Linee guida per l’analisi del rischio nel campo della microbiologia degli alimenti [15].
Pseudomonas spp. UNI ISO/TS 4 11059:2009 and
IDF/RM 5 225:2009
Linee guida per l’analisi del rischio nel campo della microbiologia degli alimenti [15]
Coagulase-positive staphylococci UNI EN/ISO 6888-2:2004 Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005 [3]
Yeasts + and moulds UNI ISO 21527-1:2008 Conferenza Stato-Regioni 212/2016 [16]
Pro-Technological Microorganisms Reference Methods
Yeasts + UNI ISO 21527-1:2008 Conferenza Stato-Regioni 212/2016 [16]
Lactic acid bacteria UNI ISO 15214:1998 Linee guida per l’analisi del rischio nel campo della microbiologia degli alimenti [15]
Pathogen Microorganisms Reference Methods
Salmonella spp. UNI EN/ISO 6579-1: 2017 Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005 [3]
Listeria monocytogenes UNI EN/ISO 11290-1:2017 Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005 [3]
Escherichia coli O157:H7 UNI EN/ISO 16654:2001 Conferenza Stato-Regioni 212/2016 [16]
Coagulase-positive staphylococci enterotoxins AOAC 6 Official method 2007.06 VIDAS set 2 for detection of staphylococcal enterotoxins. Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005 [3]

1 (UNI) Italian National Unification; 2 (EN) European Norms; 3 (ISO) International Standards Organization; 4 (ISO/TS) ISO Technical Specification; 5 (IDF/RM) International Dairy Federation/Report of Meeting; 6 (AOAC) Association of Official Analytical Chemists; (+) As reported above, Yeasts can be considered both spoilage and pro-technological microorganisms.