- Microbiology
Hygiene indicators
Control of hygiene indicators in food production
Monitor hygienic conditions in the production of food and other products through the analysis of indicator microorganisms. The microbiological quality of products affects not only their shelf life, but also their safety as potential vehicles of foodborne illness.
Regulation (EU) No 2073/2005 establishes the microbiological criteria applicable to food products, considering both food safety criteria and process hygiene criteria. These criteria are based on the microbiological analysis of parameters associated with both the presence of pathogens and indicators of poor hygiene, setting levels that are interpreted as satisfactory, acceptable or unsatisfactory depending on the results obtained. Therefore, the analysis of hygiene indicators is a legal requirement for food business operators.
Through the analysis of hygiene indicators, we can:
- Assess the overall hygienic quality of our products
- Evaluate the hygienic conditions of equipment, production environments and handling practices
- Validate and verify cleaning and disinfection processes
Therefore, monitoring hygiene indicators allows us to adopt a genuinely preventive approach, as they enable us to identify inadequate hygiene conditions or practices that increase the risk of contamination by both spoilage microorganisms and pathogens. Indicator monitoring therefore complements the control of pathogens and spoilage microorganisms.
At AINIA, we add value
- Accredited to perform testing in food for the main indicators:
- Mesophilic aerobic bacteria
- Total coliforms
- Escherichia coli
- Moulds and yeasts
- Coagulase-positive staphylococci
- Enterobacteriaceae
- Sulfite-reducing anaerobes
- Spores of sulfite-reducing anaerobes
- Techniques:
Plate count, automated MPN, manual MPN, culture-based isolation techniques for detection
- Advice on optimising control plans, including identifying the specific spoilage microorganisms to be monitored depending on the type of product, and interpretation of final results
- Fast response times, with turnaround adapted to our clients’ needs, including support for positive release systems
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Execution of technical assistance studies proposing corrective actions in response to the presence of these indicator microorganisms. Multidisciplinary solutions
View accreditation at: ENAC accreditations for AINIA laboratories
Hygiene indicators
Our solutions include:
- Advice on designing control plans
- Support in sample logistics management to ensure appropriate collection, handling, transport and reception conditions
- Carrying out analyses using the most appropriate techniques, combining high reliability criteria with costs and turnaround times adapted to our clients’ needs, including support for positive release systems
- Adaptation and validation of analytical techniques for detecting spoilage microorganisms in complex, exclusive and client-specific matrices
- Issuing results through secure and accessible platforms based on modern information and communication technologies
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Advice for correct interpretation of the results obtained
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Matrices: food, surfaces, packaging materials
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