Hi all,
I’m not a microbiologist and establishing micro test parameters + specs is a new thing for me.......hence, could someone from this area of expertise or experience kindly refer to the table below and let me know how could the test parameters + specifications be made more comprehensive enough to accurately reflect the microbiological safety of finished product (mainly cooked food) such as soups, dressings, sauces, pastries, pastas, risottos, cheeses, confit, meat..?
Also, would be great if someone could highlight the difference and the significance of “Total Coliform Count vs Faecal Coliform Count" .
Food Test
Total Aerobic Plate Count
Not more than 100 000 CFU/g
Total Coliform Count
No guideline
Faecal Coliform Count
< 3.0 MPN/g
Staph. Aureus
Not detected per g
Ice & Water Test
Total Aerobic Plate Count
Not more than 100 000 CFU/g
Total Coliform Count
<1 per 100ml
Total E.Coli Count
<1 per 100ml
Equipment Swab
Total Aerobic Plate Count
Not more than 100 CFU/ml
Total Coliform Count
<1 CFU/ml
Total E.Coli Count
Absent per swab
Hand Swab
Total Aerobic Plate Count
Not more than 100 CFU/ml
Staph. Aureus
Absent per swab
Thank you in advance.