Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What are stress or challenge tests with Listeria monocytogenes?
In these tests, the food product is contaminated with specific bacteria. In this case, it is conducted with various strains of Listeria monocytogenes. Subsequently, the product is stored over its shelf life under real…
What are biofilms?
Biofilms are communities of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, or algae that attach to surfaces in aqueous systems, grow there, and form a slime layer. This layer usually consists of polysaccharides and protects the underlying…
What are DGHM recommendations?
The German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology (DGHM e.V.) publishes microbiological reference and warning values, which provide an objective basis for businesses and authorities to assess the microbiological-hygienic…
What are the guidelines of the German Food Code?
Guidelines are drawn up by the German Food Code Commission. The guidelines include generally understandable designations for products as well as descriptions of their production, condition, and other characteristics.…
What are the main differences between the preservative efficacy tests according to Ph.Eur. Chapter 5.1.3 and ISO 11930
The two variants of the preservative efficacy test differ in some aspects of the methods and assessment criteria. For implementation according to ISO 11930, the following applies: the microbial status of the product…
What are proficiency tests for pharmaceuticals?
The European Pharmacopoeia specifies in the chapters describing the microbiological methods (2.6.12, 2.6.13, and 2.6.31) that the suitability of the test method for detecting microorganisms in the presence of the…
What are globules and how are they microbiologically tested?
In the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.), the monograph 2153 defines excipient-free pellets for homeopathic preparations as solid preparations made from sucrose, lactose, or other suitable excipients. These…
What are scouring pads?
Sponges suitable for sampling surfaces or drains. They are mainly used for qualitative examinations of pathogenic germs. According to Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005, for example, the sampling of carcasses for the…
What are food safety criteria?
Annex I Chapter 1 of Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005 sets criteria for pathogenic microorganisms that must not be exceeded. These criteria apply to products on the market, not at the manufacturing level. The regulation…
What are legionella?
Legionella naturally occur in ground and surface water and thrive best in water at temperatures between 25-45°C. When ingested orally, Legionella are harmless. However, the inhalation of water contaminated with…
What are guiding principles?
The guidelines of the German Food Code describe the characteristics of certain foods. They are prepared by experts from food monitoring, science, consumers, and the food industry based on Section 16 of the Food and Feed…
What are process hygiene criteria?
Annex I Chapter 2 of Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 establishes criteria to verify the implementation of good hygiene practices and the application of the principles of the HACCP concept. These criteria do not apply to…
What are Rodac plates?
Commercially available ready-to-use culture media (contact plates) suitable for pressing onto smooth surfaces. They are generally used for the examination of aerobic mesophilic germ count (total germ count) and…
What are environmental investigations?
Environmental examinations are used to detect microorganisms in a company's production environment. They serve to check and ensure hygiene standards. Environmental examinations include the inspection of, for example,…
What are zoonotic pathogens in food?
Zoogenic pathogens can cause diseases or infections that can be transmitted from animals to humans through direct or indirect contact as well as through food. These include various bacteria, viruses, fungi, and…
What is meant by the term mineral oil in food and how can these components enter food?
Mineral oils in food consist of saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons. The saturated hydrocarbons are abbreviated as MOSH ("mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons") and the aromatic hydrocarbons are abbreviated as MOAH…
What are MOSH and MOAH?
The abbreviations MOSH and MOAH stand for chemical compounds found in mineral oil. MOSH stands for "mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons," while MOAH stands for "mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons." MOSH can be absorbed by…
What is meant by POSH?
POSH stands for "polyolefin oligomeric saturated hydrocarbons." These are saturated hydrocarbons found in plastics. POSH can migrate into food from plastic packaging. A conclusive health assessment of this substance is…
What requirements apply to water used in a food business?
According to the requirements of the Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV 2001), water used in a company for the production, processing, preservation or placement on the market of food must meet the general requirements…
What is the significance of lactic acid bacteria in food?
Lactic acid bacteria represent a group of several genera that can ferment sugar into lactic acid. These include Lactococcus, Streptococcus, Leuconostoc, and Lactobacillus. They can be specifically used in food…
What is the significance of gluten in food?
Gluten is a naturally occurring protein mixture found in many cereals. For people with gluten intolerance, consumption can have harmful health effects. Information about the absence or reduced presence of gluten in food…
What is the significance of histamine in food?
Bacteria can produce histamine during storage or spoilage in fish and fish products. Consuming highly contaminated foods can cause poisoning in humans. Symptoms include nausea, headaches, dizziness, and skin redness.…
What statutory reporting requirements must be considered for microbiological self-checks?
Lecture "Statutory Reporting Obligations for Microbiological Self-Inspections"
Which ISO standards exist for the microbiological examination of cosmetic products?
For the microbiological examination of cosmetic products, there are several ISO standards that describe the corresponding methods. ISO 21149 Counting of aerobic mesophilic bacteria ISO 16212 Counting of yeasts and molds…
Which foods are contaminated with heavy metals?
Total mercury is absorbed about 55% from animal and 45% from plant foods. The particularly problematic methylmercury (organic mercury) is mainly absorbed from fish and seafood. In all other foods, mercury is…
What sample quantity is required per sample for the different laboratory analyses?
Required Sample Amount per Sample for Laboratory Tests Test Minimum Amount Microbiology typically 100 g For special test plans, please contact your account manager! Nutritional Values (Big 7) 200 g Nutritional Values…
What toxins does Bacillus cereus produce?
Two different toxins can be produced by Bacillus cereus: Emetic toxin: the heat and pH-stable cereulide toxin is produced by B. cereus directly in the food. Symptoms range from nausea and vomiting to liver failure.…
What environmental investigations are there?
Using contact and swab samples from work surfaces, devices, and objects that come into contact with food, their contamination with pathogenic germs can be determined. After cleaning and disinfection, the success of the…
What methods are available for air germ measurement?
In practice, two methods are applied: Air germ measurement with a measuring device A device (e.g. impaction device) is needed, which draws in a defined air volume, accelerates it and deposits it, for example, on a…
Whatregulationsarethereforallergenlabeling?
According to Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 (Food Information Regulation, FIR), there is a labeling requirement for substances that may cause allergies or intolerances for both packaged and unpackaged foods. The main…
What regulations are there for nutritional labeling?
Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 (Food Information Regulation, FIR) mandates mandatory nutrition declaration for pre-packaged foods. The key provisions are outlined in Chapter IV, Section 3 of the FIR.
What are the special characteristics of Listeria monocytogenes?
Compared to other pathogenic germs, multiplication can also occur at refrigerator temperatures (8-10°C). Other special characteristics are: Low nutrient requirements Growth at pH values greater than pH 4.4 Salt…
What are the microbiological criteria according to the standard ISO 17516?
The standard ISO 17516 defines microbiological limits for cosmetic products. Accordingly, in cosmetic products for children under 3 years, for use on the eye, and on mucous membranes the total number of aerobic…
Which are the specified microorganisms in cosmetic products
The specified microorganisms are described in the ISO 17516 standard. These microorganisms must not be detectable in cosmetic products. They include the three bacteria Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa,…
What are the essential contents of ISO 11930?
Essential content of ISO 11930 "Evaluation of the antimicrobial protection of a cosmetic product" includes the specifications for conducting a preservative challenge test, as well as the assessment criteria. The…
What are the essential contents of ISO 19838
The ISO 19838 "Guidelines for the application of ISO standards in the field of microbiology of cosmetic products" provides explanations on how the individual ISO standards in the field of microbiology of cosmetic…
What are the main pathogens or causes of food poisoning?
Food poisoning can be caused by the following microorganisms or their toxins and degradation products, among others: Campylobacter jejuni (raw milk, poultry meat) Salmonella (e.g., raw pork and poultry meat, raw milk…
What are the key contents of the GMP standard (ISO 22716)
Essential contents of the GMP standard ISO 22716 include regulations regarding the areas of Personnel, premises & equipment Manufacturing & quality of the end products Handling of deviations & complaints Documentation…
What are the most important spoilage organisms in food?
The spoilage of food is often caused by the following microorganisms: Lactic acid bacteria (e.g., cooked sausage slices, delicatessen products, non-alcoholic drinks) Enterobacteriaceae (e.g., fresh meat, fresh fish)…
How are microbiological test results of food assessed?
In Germany and the EU, microbiological criteria (limits) for certain foods are established in Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005. Additionally, there are also DGHM recommendations for many food groups, which are available…
How is coumarin regulated in food?
Coumarin is a natural flavoring agent found in cinnamon, sweet woodruff, and tonka beans. For a small group of particularly sensitive individuals, the consumption of foods containing coumarin can lead to liver damage.…
How is the use of preservatives in food regulated?
The use of preservatives serves to inhibit yeasts and molds (sometimes also bacteria) in foods, thereby improving their shelf life. The authorization of preservatives for certain foods is regulated by Regulation (EC) No…
How can the effectiveness of cleaning and disinfection be verified?
Success control of cleaning and disinfection can be carried out using contact or swab samples to test for the aerobic mesophilic bacteria count (total bacterial count) and Enterobacteriaceae (possibly also molds).…
How should allergens be labeled in non-prepackaged foods?
On 13.07.2017, the European Commission published a notice that clarifies the labeling of allergens in several aspects. Specifically, for non-prepackaged foods, the Food Information Regulation No. 1169/2011 (FIR) does…
How should cooked cured poultry products be labeled?
Since 2007, ALTS and DLG have been addressing traffic perceptions regarding composition, characteristics, labeling, and size regulations of cooked ham and processed poultry products. For the latter, designations like…
How should additives be indicated in the list of ingredients?
Food additives must be indicated in the list of ingredients on pre-packaged food with the corresponding class designation according to Annex VII Part C of Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011 (FIC). This should be followed by…
How to check the shelf life of food products?
Especially for perishable food, a storage test until the end of the best before date (BBD test) is recommended. During this test, the food is stored at the intended storage temperature. At the end of the shelf life, at…
How are vitamins declared on pre-packaged food?
Vitamins can be used either as additives or for vitamin enrichment in foods. As additives (e.g. ascorbic acid as an antioxidant in potato products), they are listed with the corresponding additive class designation…
How is an airborne germ measurement conducted?
They are usually carried out during operation in product proximity. As a standard, the air is examined for aerobic mesophilic germ count (total germ count) and possibly additionally for yeasts/molds. In the food sector,…
Where is the labeling of food regulated?
Regulation (EC) No. 1169/2011 generally governs all information provided to the end consumer about a food product. In addition, the German Regulation on Prepacked Goods and the Lot Identification Regulation apply. For…