1Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code - Standard 1.6.1 - Microbiological Limits for Food

Standard 1.6.1

Microbiological Limits IN Food

Purpose

This Standard specifies the microbiological food safety criteria which determine the acceptability of a lot or consignment of food for sale or intended for sale. The Schedule to the Standard sets out sampling plans and the limits that a lot or consignment of food must comply with. Foods that fail to meet these limits may pose a risk to human health and must not be offered for sale.

Table of Provisions

1 Interpretation

2 Application

3 Sampling of foods for microbiological analysis

4 Reference methods of analysis

5 Microbiological limits in food

6 Food in which growth of Listeria monocytogenes will not occur

Schedule Microbiological limits in food

Clauses

1 Interpretation

In this Standard –

c means the maximum allowable number of defective sample units as specified in Column 4 of the Schedule.

defective sample unit means a sample unit in which a microorganism is detected in a sample unit of a food at a level greater than m.

listericidal process means a process that reduces Listeria monocytogenes microorganisms in the food to a safe level.

M means the level specified in Column 6 of the Schedule, when exceeded in one or more samples would cause the lot to be rejected.

m means the acceptable microbiological level in a sample unit as specified in Column 5 of the Schedule.

microorganism means a microbiological agent listed in Column 2 of the Schedule.

n means the minimum number of sample units which must be examined from a lot of food as specified in Column 3 of the Schedule in this Standard.

processed in relation to egg product means pasteurised or subjected to an equivalent treatment.

ready-to-eat food means a food that –

  (a) is ordinarily consumed in the same state as that in which it is sold; and
  (b) will not be subject to a listericidal process before consumption; and
  (c) is not one of the following –

  (i) shelf stable foods;
  (ii) whole raw fruits;
  (iii) whole raw vegetables
  (iv) nuts in the shell;
  (v) live bivalve molluscs.

SPC means standard plate count at 30°C with an incubation time of 72 hours.