1. Why microbiological testing is needed in meat processing
– The Vietnamese Ministry of Health clearly sets limits for microorganisms in food under Decision No. 46/2007/QĐ-BYT. In addition, QCVN 8-3:2012/BYT also sets national technical regulations on microbiological contamination in food.
– EU Regulation EC 2073/2005 sets food safety criteria for certain bacteria in food such as Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Enterobacter sakazakii, and toxins (Staphylocci enterotoxin…) These criteria apply to products placed on the market throughout their shelf life.
– The US market also sets its own APC/SPC standards for microorganisms in food according to the USDA FSIS, FDA standards
- Because of those urgent requirements, PacificLAB offers a convenient and easy-to-use microbiological testing solution for the microbiology laboratories of meat processing companies and meat product manufacturers. A solution that significantly saves operating costs and labour: the Compact Dry pre-filled freeze-dried agar plate solution from Shimadzu - Japan.
Shimadzu Compact Dry plates
2. Microbiological testing in meat processing recommended by Shimadzu
– Total aerobic plate count – Total Viable Count TC.
– Ecoli Coliform EC.
- Enterobacteriaceae ETB.
- Staphylococcus aureus X-SA.
– Yeast and mould – Yeast and Mold Rapid YMR.
– Salmonella SL.
– Listeria LS.
* Note: the symbols such as TC, EC, ETB, YMR, X-SA, SL, LS are the product abbreviations.
3. Sample preparation process for microbiological testing in meat processing and meat products
* Destructive sample or cut-off sample method:
+ Cut off the sample (for example 10 g or 25g) from the meat body with a sterile knife or scissors.
+ Place it in a sterile container. Then add a suitable volume of sterile dilution solution (for example 90ml or 225ml Buffered peptone Water (BPW), Maximum Recovery Diluent or MRD, or Peptone Water 0,1%).
+ Then homogenise the sample and dilute it cumulatively.
* Swab test sampling method: Use a sterile cotton swab or sterile sponge, wipe a sampling area according to the standard (for example a sampling area of about 10 x 10cm) on the meat surface. Place the swab or sponge in sterile diluent. Dilute appropriately.
* For pathogenic microorganisms (Salmonella and Listeria):
+ Weigh 25g of meat sample and dilute with 225ml sterile BPW. Some countries require no Salmonella in 10g instead of 25g for minced meat (non-poultry origin) and mechanically separated meat (MSM).
4. Regulations on limits
Refer to the Codex Alimentarius standard; food and drug standards (FDA); the Food Standards Agency (FSA) or local regulatory authorities.
5. Notes on the microbiological testing process for meat and meat products
– Raw meat generally has a high microbial count; minced or ground meat even more so.
– For TC, the plate uses a 10-3 dilution (Figure 2) or 10-4 (Figure 3), while a 10-1 dilution is used for other indicator organisms.
– For TC sampled with a cotton swab or sponge, the plate uses 10-2 or 10-3 because these samples tend to have a lower number of bacteria.
- Similar to other tests based on β-Glucuronidase activity to detect E.Coli, Compact Dry EC cannot detect E.coli O157: H7 as E.coli.
