Division 2.2 Milk and dairy productsF1

United Kingdom

Food category	Micro-organisms	Sampling plan ^f1		Limits ^f2		Analytical reference method ^f3	Stage where the criterion applies	Action in case of unsatisfactory results
n = number of units comprising the sample; c = number of sample units giving values between m and M.
F2For points 2.2.1, 2.2.7, 2.2.9 and 2.2.10 m=M.
The most recent edition of the standard shall be used.
The criterion shall not apply to products intended for further processing in the food industry.
E. coli is used here as an indicator for the level of hygiene.
For cheeses which are not able to support the growth of E. coli, the E. coli count is usually the highest at the beginning of the ripening period, and for cheeses which are able to support the growth of E. coli, it is normally at the end of the ripening period.
Excluding cheeses where the manufacturer can demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the competent authorities, that the product does not pose a risk of staphylococcal enterotoxins.
Only ice creams containing milk ingredients.
Parallel testing for Enterobacteriaceae and F3Cronobacter spp. shall be conducted, unless a correlation between these micro-organisms has been established at an individual plant level. If Enterobacteriaceae are detected in any of the product samples tested in such a plant, the batch has to be tested for Cronobacter spp. It shall be the responsibility of the manufacturer to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the competent authority whether such a correlation exists between Enterobacteriaceae and Cronobacter spp.
1 ml of inoculum is plated on a Petri dish of 140 mm diameter or on three Petri dishes of 90 mm diameter.
Food category	Micro-organisms	n	c	m	M	Analytical reference method ^f3	Stage where the criterion applies	Action in case of unsatisfactory results
2.2.1 Pasteurised milk and other pasteurised liquid dairy products ^f4	Entero-bacteriaceae	5	0	10 cfu/ml		EN ISO 21528-2	End of the manufacturing process	Check on the efficiency of heat-treatment and prevention of recontamination as well as the quality of raw materials
2.2.2 Cheeses made from milk or whey that has undergone heat treatment	E. coli ^f5	5	2	100 cfu/g	1 000 cfu/g	ISO 16649-1 or 2	At the time during the manufacturing process when the E. coli count is expected to be highest ^f6	Improvements in production hygiene and selection of raw materials
2.2.3 Cheeses made from raw milk	Coagulase-positive staphylococci	5	2	10 ⁴ cfu/g	10 ⁵ cfu/g	EN/ISO 6888-2	At the time during the manufacturing process when the number of staphylococci is expected to be highest	Improvements in production hygiene and selection of raw materials. If values > 10 ⁵ cfu/g are detected, the cheese batch has to be tested for staphylococcal enterotoxins.
2.2.4 Cheeses made from milk that has undergone a lower heat treatment than pasteurisation ^f7 and ripened cheeses made from milk or whey that has undergone pasteurisation or a stronger heat treatment	Coagulase-positive staphylococci	5	2	100 cfu/g	1 000 cfu/g	EN/ISO 6888-1 or 2
2.2.5 Unripened soft cheeses (fresh cheeses) made from milk or whey that has undergone pasteurisation or a stronger heat treatment	Coagulase-positive staphylococci	5	2	10 cfu/g	100 cfu/g	EN/ISO 6888-1 or 2	End of the manufacturing process	Improvements in production hygiene. If values > 10 ⁵ cfu/g are detected, the cheese batch has to be tested for staphylococcal enterotoxins.
2.2.6 Butter and cream made from raw milk or milk that has undergone a lower heat treatment than pasteurisation	E. coli	5	2	10 cfu/g	100 cfu/g	ISO 16649-1 or 2	End of the manufacturing process	Improvements in production hygiene and selection of raw materials
2.2.7 Milk powder and whey powder	Enterobacteriaceae	5	0	10 cfu/g		EN ISO 21528-2	End of the manufacturing process	Check on the efficiency of heat treatment and prevention of recontamination
2.2.7 Milk powder and whey powder	Coagulase-positive staphylococci	5	2	10 cfu/g	100 cfu/g	EN/ISO 6888-1 or 2	End of the manufacturing process	Improvements in production hygiene. If values > 10 ⁵ cfu/g are detected, the batch has to be tested for staphylococcal enterotoxins.
2.2.8 Ice cream ^f8 and frozen dairy desserts	Enterobacteriaceae	5	2	10 cfu/g	100 cfu/g	EN ISO 21528-2	End of the manufacturing process	Improvements in production hygiene
2.2.9 Dried infant formulae and dried dietary foods for special medical purposes intended for infants below six months of age	Enterobacteriaceae	10	0	Not detected in 10 g		EN ISO 21528-1	End of the manufacturing process	Improvements in production hygiene to minimise contamination ^f9
2.2.10 Dried follow-on formulae	Enterobacteriaceae	5	0	Not detected in 10 g		EN ISO 21528-1	End of the manufacturing process	Improvements in production hygiene to minimise contamination
2.2.11 Dried infant formulae and dried dietary foods for special medical purposes intended for infants below six months of age	Presumptive Bacillus cereus	5	1	50 cfu/g	500 cfu/g	EN/ISO 7932 ^f10	End of the manufacturing process	Improvements in production hygiene. Prevention of recontamination. Selection of raw material.

Interpretation of the test results

Annotations

Textual amendments

F1: Substituted by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1441/2007 of 5 December 2007 amending Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs (Text with EEA relevance).
F2: Substituted by Commission Regulation (EU) No 365/2010 of 28 April 2010 amending Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs as regards Enterobacteriaceae in pasteurised milk and other pasteurised liquid dairy products and Listeria monocytogenes in food grade salt (Text with EEA relevance).
F3: Substituted by Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/229 of 7 February 2019 amending Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs as regards certain methods, the food safety criterion for Listeria monocytogenes in sprouted seeds, and the process hygiene criterion and food safety criterion for unpasteurised fruit and vegetable juices (ready-to-eat) (Text with EEA relevance).

Footnotes

f1: n = number of units comprising the sample; c = number of sample units giving values between m and M.
f2: For points 2.2.1, 2.2.7, 2.2.9 and 2.2.10 m=M.
f3: The most recent edition of the standard shall be used.
f4: The criterion shall not apply to products intended for further processing in the food industry.
f5: E. coli is used here as an indicator for the level of hygiene.
f6: For cheeses which are not able to support the growth of E. coli, the E. coli count is usually the highest at the beginning of the ripening period, and for cheeses which are able to support the growth of E. coli, it is normally at the end of the ripening period.
f7: Excluding cheeses where the manufacturer can demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the competent authorities, that the product does not pose a risk of staphylococcal enterotoxins.
f8: Only ice creams containing milk ingredients.
f9: Parallel testing for Enterobacteriaceae and Cronobacter spp. shall be conducted, unless a correlation between these micro-organisms has been established at an individual plant level. If Enterobacteriaceae are detected in any of the product samples tested in such a plant, the batch has to be tested for Cronobacter spp. It shall be the responsibility of the manufacturer to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the competent authority whether such a correlation exists between Enterobacteriaceae and Cronobacter spp.
f10: 1 ml of inoculum is plated on a Petri dish of 140 mm diameter or on three Petri dishes of 90 mm diameter.