The food microbiologist can choose from a wide variety of conventional and new (rapid) methods for the microbiological analysis of food, drink, water and food environment samples. In order to obtain reliable results on which to base judgements that are technically and commercially sound - the choice should take account of the objective of the analysis, the method procedure, the nature of the sample and micro-organism of concern, and the analytical facilities available.

This manual - once more significantly revised, expanded and updated with the help of a working group drawn from food industry microbiologists - contains details for 68 standardised microbiological methods widely used in food microbiology laboratories. Each method is presented in a standard format that specifies its scope, principle, media and reagents, apparatus and procedure, and results interpretation. Flow diagrams provide an at-a-glance overview of each method, whilst detailed references point to valuable additional information - for example to validation studies and British Standards.

The methods cover detection, confirmation and enumeration of a range of established and emerging pathogens and spoilage organisms, and are fully consistent with the requirements of the Campden Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (CLAS) - for which it can be used as a reference manual for companies seeking this standard. It will also be of use to companies seeking UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) accreditation.

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Methods and micro-organisms covered:
Standard plate count (Total viable count)
Standard plate count (TVC) - 3M PetriFilmTM aerobic count plate method
Mesophilic micro-organisms - enumeration (electrical technique)
Standard plate count (water)
Mesophilic spore count
Thermoduric bacteria - enumeration
Halotolerant organisms - enumeration
Proteolytic micro-organisms - enumeration
Sugar samples - preparation for microbiological examination
Yeasts and moulds - enumeration
Yeasts and moulds - enumeration (3M PetriFilmTM plate method)
Osmophilic yeasts and moulds - enumeration (colony count - DG18 medium)
Osmotolerant / osmophilic yeasts and moulds - enumeration
Preservative resistant yeasts - enumeration
Coliforms - enumeration (4 techniques)
Coliforms - detection
Enterobactereaceae - enumeration (4 techniques)
E. coli - enumeration (colony count)
E. coli - enumeration (alternative colony count - chromogenic medium)
E. coli - enumeration (3M PetriFilm™ coliform count plate method)
E. coli - detection
E. coli - detection and enumeration (membrane filtration)
Pseudomonas species - enumeration (colony count)
Pseudomonas aeruginosa - enumeration (colony count)
Lactic acid bacteria - enumeration (colony count)
Enterococcus species - enumeration (colony count)
Sulphite reducing clostridia - enumeration (cultural)
Sulphite reducing clostridia - enumeration (membrane filtration)
Sulphite reducing clostridia - detection
Brochothrix thermosphacta - enumeration (colony count)
Lipolytic micro-organisms - enumeration
Shewanella putrefaciens - enumeration
Salmonella - detection (cultural methods)
Salmonella - detection (immunoassay)
Salmonella - detection (electrical)
Salmonella - confirmation
Listeria species - enumeration (colony count)
Listeria species - detection (4 techniques)
Listeria species and L. monocytogenes - detection (DNA hybridisation)
Listeria species - confirmation
Thermotolerant Campylobacter species - detection
Escherichia coli O157 - detection (cultural method with magnetic separation)
Staphylococcus aureus (coagulase positive staphylococci) - enumeration (colony count - Baird-Parker medium)
Staphylococcus aureus (coagulase positive staphylococci) - enumeration (colony count - RPF medium)
Staphylococcus aureus (coagulase positive staphylococci) - detection
Clostridium perfringens - enumeration (colony count technique)
Bacillus cereus - enumeration (colony count)
Vibrio cholerae - detection
Vibrio parahaemolyticus - detection
Legionella species in water - detection (cultural method)
Aeromonas species - detection
Yersinia species or Yersinia enterocolitica - detection
Enterobacter sakazakii - detection
Gram differentiation tests
Oxidase test
Catalase test
Motility test
Spore stain