microbiological guidelines for foods

Analysis

Colony count

Coliform count

E. coli

Salmonella

Staph. aureus

C. perfringens

Bacillus spp.

L. monocytogenes

Campylobacter

Limits

<10 000/g

<10/g

<0/g

0/25g

<10/g

0/25g

Food type

Cooked items before cooling:

pastry, bulk vegetables, deep fried potato chips, pizzas, ready to eat frozen meals, tinned jams, tinned vegetables and fat cakes

Cold Meat items:

Cold meat processed meat (eg. viennas), polony, dried vegetables, ham and potato salads with mayonaise

Colony count

Coliform count

Yeast and Mould

Vibrio spp

E. coli

Salmonella

Staph. aureus

C. perfringens

Bacillus spp

Campylobacter

L. monocytogenes

<200 000/g

<200/g

<1000/g

0/25g

0/g

0/25g

<100/g

0/25g

<10/g

Cold smoked or Fermented Meals:

salami, bacon, buns, bread, smoked cold meat and caviar

Colony count

Coliform count

Yeast and Mould

E. coli

Salmonella

Staph. aureus

C. perfringens

Bacillus cereus

Campylobacter

L. monocytogenes

<200 000/g

<200/g

<10 000/g

0/g

0/25g

<100/g

0/25g

<10/g

Items requiring further cooking: blanched and frozen vegetables, half-cooked meals (also steak, chops and wors), meat basting sauce and raw meat

E. coli

Salmonella

C. perfringens

Campylobacter

Bacillus spp

L. monocytogenes

<10/g

0/25g

<100/g

<1000/g

0/25g

<10/g

Raw vegetables and raw fruits, including fresh fruit salads, salad dressing and peanut butter

Coliforms

Yeast and Mould

E. coli

Salmonella spp.

<200/g

<100 000/g

0/g

0/25g

Cheese

L. monocytogenes

0/g

Soy milk dried

Colony count

1000000/g

Cooked poultry

Antibiotics/other antimicrobials

Salmonella

Shigella

E. coli

Staph. aureus

C. perfringens

Total viable count

Permissible limits

0/20g

<1000/g

Bottled Water

E. coli

Non-faecal coliforms

Faecal Streptococci

C. perfringens

P. aeroginosa

Total viable count

0/250ml

<100ml after 72h at 20C-22C or <20ml after 24h at 37C when sampled within 12h of bottling

Dried spices and aromatic plants

Bacillus cereus

C. perfringens

E. coli

Staph. aureus

Salmonella spp.

Total colony count

Yeast and Mould

Coliform count

0/20g

0/25g

<1000 000/g

<10 000/g

<1000/g

Edible ice

Colony count

Pathogens

E. coli type1

<50 000/g

0

0/0.1ml

Egg and Egg products

Colony count

Coliform count

Yeast and Mould

Salmonella spp.

Staph. aureus

<20 000/g

<50/g

<200/g

0/25g

0/g

Rooibos tea

In Bulk

In Retail packaging

Colony count

E. coli

Salmonella spp.

Colony count

E. coli

Salmonella

<75 000/g

<20/g

0

150 000/g

<20/g

0

Proposed Microbiological Specifications to be used as Guidelines for Foods

(GNR.692 of 16 May 1997: Regulations governing microbiological standards for foodstuffs and related matters )