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DGHMupdatesmicrobiologicalreferenceandalertvaluesforfood

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Jul 27, 2026 - Foods

DGHMupdatesmicrobiologicalreferenceandalertvaluesforfood

DGHMupdatesmicrobiologicalreferenceandalertvaluesforfood

 

The DGHM has reviewed several recommendations and published new drafts. Important changes concern, among other things, brine cheese, crustaceans, and ready-to-eat prepared fruit.

The “Permanent Working Group on Microbiological Reference and Warning Values for Food” of the German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology e. V. (DGHM) updated several recommendations and approved new drafts at its meeting on May 6, 2026.

The microbiological reference and warning values of the DGHM assist food companies, testing laboratories, and authorities in assessing the hygienic-microbiological quality of food. Unlike the legal criteria of Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005, the DGHM recommendations are not legally binding. However, they serve as essential technical guidance for the evaluation of microbiological examination results.

Updated Recommendations
Recommendations for the following product groups have been reviewed, with no changes to the microbiological reference and warning values:

The recommendation for sushi (No. 7.5) also remains unchanged. However, a new note on the evaluation of Enterobacteriaceae has been added:

The published DGHM recommendations can be accessed for a fee via the DGHM portal for reference and warning values.

New Drafts with Modified Criteria
Additionally, three new drafts have been published:

Ripened brine cheeses, e.g., Feta (No. 1.3)
The reference value for yeasts is increased by one order of magnitude to 1 × 10⁶ CFU/g.

Raw or cooked crustaceans, cooled and frozen goods (No. 5.6)
The aerobic mesophilic colony count is introduced as a new parameter with a reference value of 5 × 10⁶ CFU/g.

The draft also includes a note that, depending on the product and the region of origin, testing for Vibrio spp. may be advisable. For health assessment, the DGHM refers to current risk assessments from EFSA and BfR.

Ready-to-eat prepared fruit and fruit mixtures (No. 12.3)
For fresh, cut, and ready-to-eat prepared fruit, the previously included parameter Enterobacteriaceae is eliminated.

The new drafts are freely accessible on the DGHM website.

 
Drafts Are Not Yet a Basis for Assessment

New drafts may only be used for the assessment of test results once they have been published as official recommendations following the completion of the procedure. Recommendations currently under revision remain valid until then.

Currently, the following recommendations are being reviewed:

 
BAV Test Plans Are Continuously Updated

The BAV Institute continuously considers published changes to DGHM recommendations in its test plans. Since BAV managing director Paul Andrei is a member of the responsible DGHM working group, we bring our practical experience in food microbiology directly into the technical work.

If you have questions about selecting suitable testing parameters or evaluating microbiological results, our customer advisors are happy to assist you.

 

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