SOP: Test for Sterility of Concentrated Orange Juice
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle The method is based on adding diluted concentrate to a sterile dextrose medium and examining for the growth of yeasts. Yeast, if present, appears as small colonies; the count per plate approximates the number of yeasts per millilitre of the concentrate. Apparatus required Sterile 20-ml […]
SOP: Fermentation Test for Concentrates
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle The concentrate is inoculated into a sterile sugar medium and incubated; fermentative yeasts reveal themselves by gas formation accompanied by a white deposit of yeast cells. The test is empirical but gives the needed information on fermentative spoilage organisms in the concentrate. Apparatus required 150-ml […]
SOP: Standard Plate Count in Fruit Juice Concentrates
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle The plate-count method estimates the number of viable microorganisms in the sample that can grow in a specified medium; the number of visible colonies equals the number of microorganisms, expressed as viable organisms per millilitre of single-strength juice. When the number exceeds 300 per ml, […]
SOP: Incubation Test for Spoilage of Canned Products
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Cans are incubated at 37 °C and 55 °C for 7 days to reveal living microorganisms: gas-forming mesophiles swell the cans at 37 °C, while flat-sour organisms (which do not grow at low temperatures) are detected at 55 °C; stained slide examination of the contents […]
SOP: Estimation of Process Lethality by the Count-Reduction Method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle In the count-reduction system proposed by Yawger, cans inoculated with known concentrations of microorganisms are removed from the processing line at different intervals and subcultured to determine the number of surviving bacteria. The data so obtained are used to calculate the lethality of the process […]
SOP: Microbiological Safety Verification of Enzyme-Based Thermal Processes
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle When a thermal process for canned fruits in syrups, fruit juices or pulps has been evolved on the basis of enzyme inactivation (rather than on the destruction of Cl. botulinum spores), tests must ensure the process also renders the product microbiologically safe. The procedure isolates […]
SOP: Inoculated Pack Studies for Checking Thermal Process Efficiency
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle To check the efficiency of a calculated thermal process, the canned food is inoculated with the heat-resistant organism, subjected to the normal heat process, and the survival of the organism is estimated by subculturing or incubation. The procedure is also used for estimating process lethality […]
SOP: Determination of Heat Resistance of Non-Spore-Forming Bacteria, Yeasts and Moulds
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle In acid products (pH 4–4.4) the main spoilage risk comes from non-spore-forming bacteria (lactobacilli, leuconostocs), yeasts and moulds, whose vegetative cells are killed by much milder heat than bacterial spores. There is no standard procedure, but the tube/cand methods described for spores are applied with […]
SOP: Determination of Thermal Death Time by the Can Method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Small cans are used instead of sealed tubes to determine the thermal death time in raw food products, so that determination can be made under conditions that do not require pureeing or juicing the foods — foods containing small pieces and foods that cannot be […]
SOP: Determination of Thermal Death Time by the Tube Method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle The thermal death time (TDT) — the shortest time required at a given temperature to kill a stated number of organisms — is established by heating sealed tubes containing known concentrations of the test organism in the food medium, at a series of time intervals, […]
SOP: Counting of Spores
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle The spore suspension for thermal death time determination must contain more than 10 million spores per ml (a suspension below 100,000 spores per ml is generally useless). The count is obtained either by direct microscopic counting or by subculturing, the heated dilutions being plated or […]
SOP: Cleaning of Spore Suspensions
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Harvested spore suspensions contain vegetative cells and extraneous material that must be removed before thermal death time determinations, because solutes and debris influence heat resistance. Vegetative cells are lysed by lysozyme or aeration, and the solutes are removed by repeated centrifugal washing in sterile distilled […]
SOP: Production of Spores for Thermal Death Time Studies
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Spores for thermal death time (TDT) studies are produced by growing the test organism on a suitable agar surface until sporulation is virtually complete, then harvesting the spores into sterile distilled water and activating them by a mild heat treatment that destroys vegetative cells. Apparatus […]
SOP: Preparation of Spore Suspension of Clostridium sporogenes (PA 3679)
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle The spore suspension used in thermal death time (TDT) work must be produced under controlled culture conditions so that the spores are mature and of known heat resistance. The National Canners Association procedure produces a suspension of the putrefactive anaerobe Clostridium sporogenes (strain PA 3679) […]
SOP: Preparation of Culture Media for Spoilage Examination
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Every medium used in the microbiological examination of spoiled canned foods is made up from the ingredients below, exactly as the book gives them. This SOP is the single preparation reference for all the Chapter 23 examination SOPs. General instructions Sterilize the glassware required in […]
SOP: Preparation of Oily Material for Microbiological Examination
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Oily material will not mix with water-based diluents, so it is first dispersed in an emulsifying diluent — gum tragacanth with ethanol, dextrose and sodium tauroglycocholate, sterilized under pressure — and dilutions for examination are made from that emulsion in warm diluent. Apparatus required Autoclave […]
SOP: Microbiological Examination of Miscellaneous Foods
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Ketchups, sugars, syrups, soft drinks, fruit juices, jams and jellies each carry their own spoilage flora — gas-producing yeasts, thermophiles, osmophilic yeasts, moulds. The book gives specific acceptance procedures for fruit juices (a 14-day sucrose yeast check) and for jams and jellies (a 7-day storage […]
SOP: Microbiological Examination of Dehydrated Fruits and Vegetables
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Counts in dehydrated fruits and vegetables should be low, but lactic acid bacteria, flat-sour thermophiles and hydrogen sulphide producing anaerobes may be present. Total mould and yeast counts plus lactic acid bacteria on Rogosa agar, with aerobic and anaerobic culturing at 30–32°C, cover the organisms […]
SOP: Microbiological Examination of Pickles
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Pickles are high acid foods with generally low counts (1,000/g), and yeasts — gas-producing or film-forming — are the usual spoilage agents. Total counts and acid-producer counts on dextrose-tryptone agar at two pH values, lactic acid bacteria on Rogosa medium, and yeast counts by chamber […]
SOP: Microbiological Examination of Frozen Fruits and Vegetables
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Freezing does not sterilize: psychrophiles can spoil near the freezing point, and gross temperature fluctuations let bacteria grow. Total counts are done at low temperature over a long period and at moderate temperature over a short one, using enriched media because the organisms may have […]
SOP: Coliform Count and Escherichia coli Test in Fresh Vegetables
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Vegetables, particularly leafy vegetables grown in polluted streams or sewage farms, can carry faecal contamination. Washing the vegetable in Ringer solution recovers the surface organisms, a presumptive coliform count is done as in the examination of water, and positive tubes are tested for Escherichia coli. […]
SOP: Special Culture Procedures for Suspected Spoilage Types
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle When the visual, pH and microscopic examinations point to a special spoilage type — sulphide spoilage in vegetables, flat-sour spoilage in low-acid vegetables or tomato juice, or yeast or mould spoilage in acid fruits — the contents are inoculated into additional selective media that reveal […]
SOP: Routine Culturing of Can Contents
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle The can contents are inoculated into aerobic and anaerobic media and incubated at room temperature, 37°C and 55°C, so that mesophilic and thermophilic spoilage organisms each get conditions to grow. Vegetables of pH 4.5 and higher and acid fruits of pH 4.5 and below use […]
SOP: Gas Analysis of Headspace for Detection of Hydrogen Swells
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle A swollen can with a low microbial count may not be a microbial swell at all: hydrogen gas produced by corrosion of the can’s internal surface can swell it. Analysing the headspace gas separates the two — hydrogen burns, while the microbial gases of spoilage […]
SOP: Examination of Spoiled Product and Can
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Appearance, texture and odour of the product, together with net and drained weights and a look at the cut-open seam, complete the physical side of a spoilage investigation. Overfilling, for example, slows heat penetration and can cause underprocessing — and the seam hooks show whether […]
SOP: Determination of pH of Normal and Spoiled Cans
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Spoilage organisms change the acidity of the product — flat-sour spoilage, for instance, markedly lowers the pH. Comparing the pH of normal and spoiled cans from the same lot with a glass-electrode pH meter therefore detects spoilage shifts, and even small variations can be significant. […]
SOP: Direct Microscopic Examination of Spoiled Can Contents
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle A stained smear of the can contents shows the shape and staining behaviour of the organisms at once. The kinds of cells seen — Gram-positive rods, cocci, yeasts — point straight to underprocessing or to leakage before any culture result comes back. But organisms seen […]
SOP: Sampling of Can Contents for Microbiological Examination
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle The sample must come from the part of the can where the spoilage organisms live: the centre of the can in underprocessing, the exterior ends in leakage. Liquid, solid and mixed products are opened by different tools, each sterilized, so the sample is taken without […]
SOP: Aseptic Opening of Cans for Spoilage Examination
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle The can must be opened without introducing outside organisms and without bursting a pressurized can. Flat, flipper and springer cans are flamed and punctured; soft-swollen and hard-swollen cans — which may burst if flamed — are first disinfected and depressurized through a cloth before opening. […]
SOP: Incubation of Cans before Microbiological Examination
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Sound cans of fruits and vegetables are incubated before examination because incubation encourages a small number of surviving organisms to multiply — organisms that would otherwise be missed in the sampling of cans. The temperature and period depend on the product’s acidity, since acidity decides […]
SOP: Physical Examination of Cans
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Before any can is opened, its outside tells the first part of the spoilage story: dents and seam damage point to leakage, while swollen ends point to gas-forming organisms. A systematic outside examination records identity, weight and every visible defect so later findings can be […]
SOP: Sampling of Cans for Spoilage Examination
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle A sterility result on one can applies only to that can, not to the whole batch. Unless spoilage is widespread, many cans must be taken to have any chance of finding it, and the number depends on the spoilage pattern: widespread spoilage needs only a […]
SOP: Investigation and Diagnosis of Spoilage in Canned Foods
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Spoilage in canned fruits and vegetables comes either from underprocessing (the heat process fails to destroy all bacteria capable of later growth) or from leakage (contamination after an adequate heat process through a faulty seam or damaged can). A sound investigation of any spoilage outbreak […]
SOP: Roll Tube Method for Surface Counts
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Molten agar rolled inside a bottle sets as a uniform film over the whole inner surface; bacteria brought to the surface grow into colonies in the film during incubation and are counted. Lactobacilli and clostridia are incubated anaerobically under a cotton wool plug. Apparatus required […]
SOP: Scotch Tape Method for Surface Counts
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Adhesive tape pressed firmly onto a surface lifts the bacteria from it; pressing the used tape onto an agar surface transfers the bacteria to the medium, where colonies grow on incubation and are counted. Apparatus required Scotch tape or similar material (about 2 in. long […]
SOP: Swab Counts on Working Surfaces, Floors and Walls
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Swab counts on working surfaces, floors and walls assess hygienic conditions. A sterile stencil limits the swabbed area to a known square, so that the count can be expressed per unit area of surface. Apparatus required Card or cellophane (for cutting stencils) Cotton wool swabs […]
SOP: Examination of Sink Waters
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Washing and rinse waters pick up contamination as work goes on. Samples taken when washing starts and at intervals while it continues show when the water turns unhygienic and must be changed. Where hypochlorites are used for washing, the sample bottle is charged with sodium […]
SOP: Rinse Method for Bottles
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Bottles are rinsed internally with a known small volume of sterile Ringer solution; plate counts from the rinse, incubated at two temperatures, give the average colony count per bottle, and inoculation into double strength MacConkey’s broth tests for coliform bacilli. Testing all bottles travelling abreast […]
SOP: Rinse Method for Bins and Large Utensils
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle For bins and other large utensils that cannot be swabbed practically, the whole inner surface is washed with a known volume of sterile Ringer solution; the rinse then carries the surface flora, and plate counts made from it give the total count per container. Apparatus […]
SOP: Assessment of Surface Sanitation by the Swab Rinse Method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle The numbers of bacteria found on utensils, equipment and working surfaces show how hygienic a food factory is and how well its cleaning is working. In the swab rinse method, cotton wool swabs carry the bacteria from a definite area (or from a fixed number […]
SOP: Preparation of Culture Media and Reagents for Bacteriological Examination of Water
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Every bacteriological test of water depends on media that are prepared exactly as directed: the nutrient balance, pH, sterilization and storage of each medium determine whether the organisms sought will grow and be recognized. This SOP gives the preparation of all the culture media and […]
SOP: Determination of Faecal Coliform Count by the Membrane Filter Technique
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle If the total coliform count is made by the membrane filter technique, the faecal coliform count may be made by the same procedure using an enriched lactose medium (M-FC medium) and incubating the dishes at 44.5 ± 0.2°C (the book prints “44.5 + 0.2° C”, […]
SOP: Determination of Coliform Count by the Membrane Filter Technique
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle A measured volume of the sample is filtered through a thin bacteria-retaining membrane (the book prints “150 um”, carried as printed); the bacterial cells are trapped on the surface. The membrane is then transferred onto a thin absorbent pad saturated with a selective medium — […]
SOP: Determination of Faecal Streptococci in Water
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle The faecal streptococci (enterococci, of which Streptococcus faecalis is typical) are distinguished by their relative heat resistance (they withstand 60°C for 30 min, while most streptococci are destroyed by 55°C for 15–20 min), their ability to grow in ordinary laboratory media in the presence of […]
SOP: Determination of Coliform Count in Water (Presumptive, Confirmed and Completed Tests)
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Escherichia coli is one of the few bacteria able to ferment lactose with the production of acid and gas. If acid and gas are produced in lactose broth inoculated with the water being tested, this is presumptive evidence of sewage pollution — but several non-intestinal […]
SOP: Determination of Plate Count in Water
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle A measured amount of the water is mixed with a sterile, solidifiable culture medium (nutrient agar) and incubated for a fixed time so that the bacteria present grow into visible colonies, which are then counted. The plate count measures the general bacterial purity of the […]
SOP: Collection and Transport of Water Samples for Bacteriological Examination
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle The reliability of a bacteriological examination and the interpretation of its results depend largely on how the sample is taken: the sample must truly represent the supply and must be collected without extraneous contamination. The collected water is held cold and examined promptly so that […]
SOP: Determination of Motility of Bacteria by the Hanging Drop Method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Whether a bacterium can move under its own power is observed directly in a hanging drop preparation: a small drop of a young broth culture is suspended from a coverslip over a hollow slide, sealed with vaseline against evaporation. Under the microscope, the observer watches […]
SOP: Spore Staining of Bacteria
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Certain bacteria form endospores (spores) within the cell; these spores are remarkably resistant to conditions that quickly kill vegetative cells. They resist the usual stains and appear as relatively transparent spots in the cell, and in old cultures the spore’s cell wall often breaks down, […]
SOP: Gram Staining of Bacteria
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle The Gram staining technique differentiates bacteria into two groups on the basis of cell-wall behaviour: Gram-positive cells hold the blue primary dye through decolourization, while Gram-negative cells lose it and take up the red counterstain. The result is an aid, or tool, in classifying bacteria. […]
SOP: Negative Staining of Bacteria
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle In negative staining the dye colours the background, not the cells: the organisms appear light against a dark field. Because the cells themselves are not stained, they are not distorted as in ordinary staining, so negative staining is a rapid method for studying the organisms […]
SOP: Monochrome Staining of Bacteria
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Certain dyes bind to bacterial cell walls and raise the contrast of the cells under the microscope. In monochrome (simple) staining a single dye is applied to a fixed smear, so the shape and size of the organisms — the morphology — can be observed […]
SOP: Counting of Bacteria by Total Count and Viable Count
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle A total count and a viable count measure different things. The total count, made by direct microscopic counting in a Helber chamber, counts every organism visible — including dead cells and cells indistinguishable from other particulate matter. The viable count assumes each living organism gives […]
SOP: Preparation of Shake Tube Cultures
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle When an inoculum is mixed into molten agar and allowed to set, the organisms are trapped at different depths in the column, where the oxygen supply differs. Where the colonies grow therefore reveals the oxygen requirement of the organism: obligate aerobes appear only at the […]
SOP: Inoculation of Bacteria by the Pour Plate Method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle In the pour plate method the sample is diluted in a series of steps, a measured volume of each dilution is mixed into molten agar, and the mixture is poured into a Petri dish. On setting, the organisms are distributed through and on the agar, […]
SOP: Preparation of Streak Plates for Bacterial Cultures
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle A mixed culture cannot be studied directly: the organisms must be separated into discrete colonies, each grown from one cell or clump. Streaking spreads a small inoculum across a solid medium so thinly that individual cells are deposited apart; each pass across a new area […]
SOP: Preparation of Bacteriological Media
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle A culture medium must supply the nutrients the organisms need, at the correct acidity, in a sterile container. The ingredients are therefore dissolved in a fixed order (agar last, since it needs heat to dissolve), the pH is adjusted to the required value and checked, […]
SOP: Sterilization of Glassware for Bacteriological Examination
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Glassware must be completely sterile before it touches a culture; any surviving organism would contaminate the work. Heat destroys the organisms: dry heat in a hot air oven for dry-wrapped items, steam under pressure in an autoclave for bottles, and direct flaming for inoculating wires, […]
SOP: Cleaning of Glassware for Bacteriological Examination
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Residues of soap, alkali, disinfectant or culture material on glassware can inhibit or kill the bacteria being examined. Glassware used for bacteriological work must therefore be chemically clean and neutral: washing removes the dirt, and a phenol-red autoclave test checks that new glassware is not […]
SOP: Determination of Bacterial Permeability of Plastic Films
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Pouches made of the plastic films under test are filled with a suitable bacterial growth medium, sealed under atmospheric pressure, and immersed in a liquid bath that is highly contaminated with bacteria. If the medium in the pouches remains sterile for a time equivalent to […]
SOP: Microbiological Examination of Sugar
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Sugar for canning and bottling must conform to microbiological standards (the book cites the National Canners Association standards and the Standards of the American Bottlers of Carbonated Beverages): the total colony count is determined by the pour-plate technique on nutrient agar; yeasts and moulds are […]
SOP: Detection of Staphylococcal Enterotoxins in Foods
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This SOP detects staphylococcal enterotoxins — the pre-formed toxins that cause staphylococcal food poisoning — in foods. The toxins are extracted from the food by acidified aqueous extraction; the extract is concentrated by dialysis against polyethylene glycol; and the concentrated extract is tested with […]
SOP: Detection of Thermophilic Flat Sour Sporeformers in Low-Acid Canned Foods
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This SOP detects thermophilic flat sour sporeformers in low-acid canned foods and their ingredients following the APHA Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods (CMMEF), Chapter 25, 4th Edition. The typical organisms are Bacillus stearothermophilus and Bacillus coagulans, sporeforming thermophilic facultative aerobes […]
SOP: Detection of Thermophilic Anaerobic Sporeformers (Non-Hydrogen Sulfide Producers) in Canned Foods
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This SOP detects non-hydrogen sulfide-producing thermophilic anaerobic sporeformers in canned foods and their ingredients following the APHA Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods (CMMEF), Chapter 26, 4th Edition. The type species is Clostridium thermosaccharolyticum: obligately anaerobic, strongly saccharolytic rods producing acid […]
SOP: Thermoduric Count and Heat Resistance Measurements (D-value and z-value)
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This SOP covers the thermoduric count and heat resistance measurements following the APHA Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods (CMMEF), Chapter 14, 4th Edition. Thermoduric microorganisms are non-sporing bacteria (for example Enterococcus, Microbacterium, Micrococcus, coryneform bacteria, Lactobacillus, and related spore formers […]
SOP: Detection of Sulfide Spoilage Sporeformers in Canned Food Ingredients
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This SOP detects sulfide spoilage sporeformers in canned food ingredients following the APHA Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods (CMMEF), Chapter 27, 4th Edition. The causative organism is Desulfotomaculum nigrificans. Spoiled cans show no swelling, but on opening there is a […]
SOP: Enumeration of Psychrotrophic Microorganisms in Foods by the Plate Count Method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This SOP enumerates psychrotrophic microorganisms in foods following the APHA Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods (CMMEF), Chapter 13, 4th Edition. Psychrotrophs are microorganisms that grow in foods at refrigeration temperatures (0 to 7 °C) but have temperature optima above 20 […]
SOP: Enumeration of Proteolytic Microorganisms in Foods
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This SOP enumerates proteolytic microorganisms in foods following the APHA Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods (CMMEF), Chapter 16, 4th Edition. Proteolytic species (among the genera Acinetobacter, Bacillus, Clostridium, Enterobacter, Flavobacterium, Micrococcus, Pseudomonas, and Proteus, and also proteolytic yeasts and moulds) […]
SOP: Isolation and Identification of Plesiomonas shigelloides from Foods
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This SOP isolates and identifies Plesiomonas shigelloides from foods following the APHA Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods (CMMEF), Chapter 30, 4th Edition. Direct plating of the sample is always done, since enrichment is of only limited usefulness for the plesiomonads; […]
SOP: Detection and Enumeration of Pectinolytic and Pectolytic Microorganisms
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This SOP detects and enumerates pectinolytic (pectin-degrading) and pectolytic (pectic acid/pectate-degrading) microorganisms in foods following the APHA Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods (CMMEF), Chapter 18, 4th Edition. Pectic substances are polymers of D-galacturonic acid in plant cell walls; pectin is […]
SOP: Enumeration of Osmophilic and Xerophilic Yeasts and Moulds (MY40G, MY50G and DG18)
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This SOP enumerates osmophilic and xerophilic yeasts and moulds in foods with a low water activity following the APHA Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods (CMMEF), Chapters 17 and 20, 4th Edition. Organisms that grow at high sugar concentrations do not […]
SOP: Detection of Toxigenic Fungi (Mycotoxin-Producing Molds) in Foods
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This SOP detects toxigenic fungi — the molds capable of producing mycotoxins — in foods following the APHA Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods (CMMEF), Chapter 43, 4th Edition. Selective media are used for the principal toxigenic groups: Aspergillus flavus-parasiticus agar […]
SOP: Enumeration of Lipolytic Microorganisms in Foods
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This SOP enumerates lipolytic microorganisms in foods following the APHA Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods (CMMEF), Chapter 15, 4th Edition. Microbial lipases hydrolyze the ester bonds of triglycerides and release free fatty acids. The food dilutions are plated on a […]
SOP: Detection and Enumeration of Heat-Resistant Moulds
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This SOP detects and enumerates heat-resistant moulds in fruits and fruit products following the APHA Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods (CMMEF), Chapter 21, 4th Edition. Heat-resistant moulds produce ascospores (or similar structures) with a heat resistance in some cases comparable […]
SOP: Enumeration of Halophilic Bacteria in Salted Foods and Seafoods
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This SOP enumerates halophilic (salt-requiring) bacteria in salted foods, seafoods and brines following the APHA Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods (CMMEF), Chapter 17, 4th Edition. Halophiles are grouped by the salt level they grow best in: slight halophiles (0.5% to […]
SOP: Enumeration of Enterococci in Foods by the fGTC Agar Method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This SOP enumerates enterococci in foods by the fluorogenic gentamicin-thallous-carbonate (fGTC) agar method following the APHA Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods (CMMEF), Chapter 9, 4th Edition. fGTC agar is an alternative to KF streptococcal agar: it uses inhibitors other than […]
SOP: Diagnosis of Spoilage in Canned Foods — Tests for Cause of Spoilage
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This SOP diagnoses the cause of spoilage in thermally processed foods in hermetically sealed containers (“canned” foods) following the APHA Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods (CMMEF), Chapter 62, 4th Edition. The examination combines the product history, the structural integrity of […]
SOP: Isolation of Arcobacter Species from Foods
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This SOP isolates Arcobacter species from foods following the APHA Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods (CMMEF), Chapter 30, 4th Edition. Two enrichment-based procedures are given. The first uses a two-step approach: selective enrichment in Ellinghausen-McCullough-Johnson-Harris polysorbate 80 (EMJH-P80) semi-solid medium, […]
SOP: Detection and Enumeration of Motile Aeromonads (Aeromonas hydrophila Group) in Foods
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This SOP detects and enumerates motile aeromonads (the Aeromonas hydrophila group) in foods following the APHA Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods (CMMEF), Chapter 30, 4th Edition. Dilutions of the food are spread-plated on starch ampicillin (SA) agar, where starch hydrolysis […]
SOP: Detection of Aciduric Flat Sour Sporeformers in Acid Foods
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This SOP detects aciduric flat sour sporeformers in acid foods following the APHA Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods (CMMEF), Chapter 24, 4th Edition. Two groups are covered. Bacillus coagulans spoils tomato products: the can ends stay flat (hence “flat sour”), […]
SOP: Enumeration of Pseudomonas in Foods by the Spread Plate Method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This SOP enumerates Pseudomonas in foods following CCFRA Chapter 9.1. Measured volumes of the sample dilution are spread over the surface of two selective agars — Pseudomonas-CN agar and Pseudomonas-CFC agar. After incubation, the colonies are counted and the count is calculated as colony-forming […]
SOP: Enumeration of Osmophilic Yeasts and Moulds in Foods by the Spread Plate Method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This SOP enumerates osmophilic yeasts and moulds — the yeasts and moulds that grow in high-sugar foods. The sample dilution is prepared in 0.1% peptone with 20% sucrose and spread on MAS agar. After incubation at 22–25 °C for 5 days, the colonies are […]
SOP: Enumeration of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Foods by the Pour Plate Method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This SOP enumerates lactic acid bacteria in foods following CCFRA Chapter 14.1. Measured volumes of the sample dilution are mixed with MRS agar poured in two layers. The plates are incubated under anaerobic conditions at 30 °C ± 1 °C for 72 ± 4 […]
SOP: Enumeration of Enterococci in Foods by the Pour Plate Method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This SOP enumerates enterococci in foods following the APHA Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods (CMMEF), Chapter 9, 4th Edition. Measured volumes of the sample dilution are pour-plated in KF agar containing 1% TTC solution. After incubation at 35 °C ± […]
SOP: Enumeration of Escherichia coli and Coliforms Using 3M Petrifilm E. coli Count Plates
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle The plates are a ready-to-use product: culture media coated onto films, so traditional media preparation is unnecessary. Each plate holds dry medium plus a cold-water-soluble gelling agent. A 1 mL sample is added directly to the plate and spread with the supplied plastic spreader […]
SOP: Detection of Norovirus Genogroups I and II Using the Conventional and Real-Time Reverse-Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Total RNA is extracted from a food, clinical or environmental sample using an appropriate procedure — or from a cell-free sample (for instance, a norovirus suspension prepared from human stool samples) — with the QIAamp viral RNA extraction kit. The final RNA extract is […]
SOP: Concentration and Detection of Hepatitis A Virus from Contaminated Strawberries by the Pathatrix System and Reverse-Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Strawberries suspected of contamination with hepatitis A virus (HAV) are washed in a glycine buffer, and the wash is circulated forcefully through a Pathatrix workstation containing non-specific positively charged magnetic beads. The cationic beads bind the negatively charged viral capsids, and the bead–virus complexes […]
SOP: Propagation and Quantification of Feline Calicivirus Using Cell Culture Methods
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Standardized stocks of feline calicivirus (FCV) are produced for use as positive controls in methods that extract and detect RNA viruses of interest from food commodities. Crandell-Reese Feline Kidney (CRFK) cells are grown and maintained, infected with FCV at a low multiplicity of infection, […]
SOP: Detection of Hepatitis A Virus Using the Conventional and Real-Time Reverse-Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Total RNA is extracted from a food, clinical or environmental sample using an appropriate procedure, or from a cell-free sample (for instance, an HAV stock suspension) using the QIAamp viral RNA Mini Kit. The final RNA extract feeds a conventional and/or a real-time reverse-transcriptase […]
SOP: Detection of Feline Caliciviruses by Conventional and Real-Time Reverse-Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Feline calicivirus (FCV) RNA is detected after extraction from a food, clinical or environmental sample, or from a cell-free FCV stock suspension, using the QIAamp viral RNA Mini Kit. The extracted RNA is amplified by conventional reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with primers CBK-1 […]
SOP: Isolation and Identification of Cyclospora cayetanensis Oocysts from Fresh Raspberries
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Fresh raspberries are shaken gently in a stomacher bag with buffer so that Cyclospora cayetanensis oocysts wash off the berry surfaces. The wash liquid is concentrated by repeated centrifugation and pooling, and the final resuspended pellet is examined microscopically for the oocysts. 2. General […]
SOP: Concentration and Detection of Hepatitis A Virus and Rotavirus in Bottled Water by RT-PCR
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Bottled spring or mineral water suspected of contamination with hepatitis A virus (HAV) and/or rotavirus is filtered through a positively charged membrane that traps the viruses. The trapped viruses are eluted with a tryptose phosphate broth–glycine buffer, further concentrated on centrifugal filter columns, and […]
SOP: Concentration of Norovirus Genogroup II and Hepatitis A Virus from Contaminated Green Onions and Their Detection Using the Reverse-Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Virus particles are washed off the surface of fresh green onions by repeated pipetting with a pH 9.5 tryptose phosphate broth–glycine buffer, and the viral load is concentrated by polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation. Viral RNA is extracted and purified by a TRIzol–chloroform step followed […]
SOP: Isolation and Identification of Anisakid Roundworm Larvae in Fish
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Roundworm larvae are separated from fish tissues by manual, sedimentary or chemical means — non-destructive candling and ultraviolet illumination, or destructive elution and digestion — and identified from their gross morphological features under the microscope, in live or preserved specimens. Candling is the procedure […]
SOP: Concentration of Norovirus Genogroups I and II from Contaminated Oysters and Their Detection Using the Reverse-Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Norovirus particles are concentrated from oyster digestive glands by sonication in glycine buffer followed by polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation. Total RNA is extracted with TriReagent, and viral RNA is enriched from the bulk oyster RNA with oligo-dT coated magnetic beads, which bind the polyadenylated […]
SOP: Determination of Glass Particles and Other Extraneous Material by Candling
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Candling is a fast, non-destructive screening method in which glass or other included foreign particles are watched directly as they settle through a liquid food held in a transparent container under a high-intensity light. It works best on clear liquids of low viscosity and […]
SOP: Determination of Glass Particles in Sauces Containing Food Particulates of Variable Sizes
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Sauces containing food particulates of various sizes — such as sauces with fermented beans, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, chilies or peanuts, whole or in pieces — are examined for glass particles to judge compliance with Sections 4, 5 and 7 of the Food and […]
SOP: Determination of Glass Particles in Jams or Jelly
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Jam and jelly packed in glass containers are examined for glass particles that may enter the product through chipping or damage of the container. The contents of each jar are boiled, sieved and decanted to concentrate the heavy residue, which is filtered onto ruled […]
SOP: Determination of Extraneous Material in Spirulina, Kelp and Sea Vegetation
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Spirulina, kelp and sea vegetation are examined for extraneous material such as insects, rodent hairs and feather barbules. Light filth is isolated by acid digestion, wet sieving and mineral-oil flotation in a percolator, then filtered onto ruled paper and examined microscopically. Heavy filth is […]
SOP: Determination of Extraneous Material in Bakery Products Without Fruit and Nut Ingredients
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Bakery products without fruit and nut ingredients are examined for extraneous material — chiefly insect infestation and rodent hairs. Light filth is released by acid digestion of a water-emulsified sample, wet sieving and mineral-oil flotation in a percolator, then collected on ruled filter paper […]
SOP: Determination of Extraneous Material in White Rice
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle White rice is examined for insect infestation, rodent hairs and other extraneous material. Light filth is separated by acid digestion of the rice, wet sieving and mineral-oil flotation in a percolator, then filtered onto ruled paper and examined under the microscope. Heavy filth is […]
SOP: Determination of Extraneous Material in Wet and Dried Bean Curd
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Wet and dried bean curd is examined for insect infestation, mites, rodent hairs and other extraneous material to determine compliance with Sections 4, 5 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act. Light filth is isolated by acid digestion and defatting, separated by mineral-oil […]
SOP: Determination of Extraneous Material in White Wheat Flour
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle White wheat flour is examined for insects, rodent hairs and other extraneous material to determine compliance with Sections 4, 5 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act. The flour is digested in dilute hydrochloric acid, either in an autoclave or by boiling, and […]
SOP: Determination of Heavy Filth in Black Tea
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Black tea is examined for heavy filth: glass particles, metal particles, insect excreta, rodent excreta, insect eggs and insect larvae. The tea is separated from its heavy residue with chloroform (and, if needed, carbon tetrachloride) in a beaker, the residue is filtered onto ashless […]
SOP: Determination of Maggots, Mites, Nematodes and Mould in Mushrooms
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Canned, fresh, frozen and dehydrated mushrooms are examined for maggots, mites, nematodes and mould. Maggots, mites and nematodes are isolated by wet sieving, stained with crystal violet and bleached, then filtered onto ruled paper and counted under the microscope. Mould decomposition is found by […]
SOP: Determination of Magnetic Metal Particles and Heavy Filth in Chocolate and Cocoa
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Chocolate and cocoa are examined for magnetic metal particles and for heavy filth, to judge compliance with Sections 4, 5 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act. Magnetic metal particles are freed from the product with chloroform or trichloroethylene, collected on a magnetic […]
SOP: Determination of Extraneous Material in Dried, Frozen and Canned Peas, Beans and Lentils
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Dried peas, beans and lentils are examined macroscopically for insect damage and for mould, by hand and with lenses and microscopes. Frozen and canned peas, beans and lentils are examined microscopically for light filth, after the seeds are worked through sieves and the light […]
SOP: Determination of Extraneous Material in Processed, Sliced, Chopped and Macerated Dates and Date Material
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Pressed, sliced, chopped and macerated dates and date material are examined for insects, mites, hairs, feather barbules, sand, soil, pits, pieces of pit and other extraneous material. Light filth is isolated by hot-water digestion, wet sieving and kerosene flotation in a Wildman trap flask, […]
SOP: Determination of Extraneous Material in Raisins and Currants
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Raisins and currants are examined for insect infestation, mites, mould, hairs, fibres, sand, soil and other extraneous material, to judge compliance with Sections 4, 5 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act. The work has three parts: viable and total mould are found […]
SOP: Determination of Light Filth in Brown Rice
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Brown rice is tested for light filth particles by boiling it in dilute hydrochloric acid, wet-sieving the contents, and floating the light filth with mineral oil in a Wildman trap flask. The floated material is filtered onto ruled filter paper and examined under a […]
SOP: Determination of Extraneous Material in Whole Nutmegs
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle The method examines whole nutmegs for insect infestation, mould and other extraneous material, to determine compliance with Sections 4, 5 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act. The nutmeg fruit resembles a small peach or apricot, but instead of soft flesh it has […]
SOP: Determination of Extraneous Material in Soy Sauce and Fermented Soybean Sauces
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Light filth — insects, insect fragments, mites, hairs, feather barbules and other extraneous material — is separated from soy sauce, oyster flavoured sauce and fermented soybean sauces by sieving, digestion and oil or heptane flotation in a Wildman trap flask, filtered onto ruled filter […]
SOP: Determination of Extraneous Material in Shelled and Unshelled Nuts
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Shelled and unshelled nuts, whole or in pieces, are sampled from a lot and examined for insect infestation, mould, rancidity, shrivelling and other extraneous material such as sand and soil. Shelled nuts are inspected on the outer surface with an illuminator and a magnifying […]
SOP: Determination of Extraneous Material in Dried Fruits
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Dried fruits are examined for insect infestation, mites, mould, hairs, fibres, sand, soil and other extraneous material; pitted dried fruits are additionally examined for pits and pieces of pit. The examination is visual, aided by lenses and microscopes where needed. Defects are classified by […]
SOP: Rapid Determination of Glass in Particle-Free Food Products
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Glass fragments are separated from particle-free foods packed in glass when the containers cannot be checked by candling — because of the colour or viscosity of the product, or the colour, opacity or shape of the container. The entire contents of 24 randomly selected […]
SOP: Determination of Magnetic Metal Particles and Heavy Filth in Mechanically Separated Meat
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Mechanically separated meat is examined for magnetic metal particles (MMP) and heavy filth to determine compliance with Sections 4, 5 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act. Magnetic metal particles are pulled out of an acid-digested meat slurry with a smooth spin bar […]
SOP: Determination of Extraneous Material in Cheese
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle A weighed portion of cheese is broken up in warm water, made alkaline with sodium EDTA and ammonium hydroxide, and digested with pancreatin so the cheese matrix breaks down while extraneous material — light and heavy filth — remains intact. The digest is wet-sieved […]
SOP: Determination of Extraneous Material in Brined, Maraschino and Glacé Cherries
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This laboratory procedure applies to the sampling and examination of brined, maraschino and glacé cherries for insects, insect infestation, mites, mould, hairs, fibres, sand, soil, pits and pieces of pit, and other extraneous material. The cherries are boiled and washed through sieves to separate […]
SOP: Determination of Light Filth in Ground Cinnamon
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Light filth — insects, insect fragments, mites, hairs, feather barbules and other extraneous material — is separated from ground cinnamon by hot-acid dispersion and wet sieving, then isolated by mineral-oil flotation in a percolator. The mineral-oil layer carrying the light filth is filtered onto […]
SOP: Determination of Extraneous Material in Fig Paste
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Extraneous material — insect fragments, mites, rodent hairs, feather barbules, other animal hairs and other debris — is separated from fig paste and counted under a stereoscopic microscope. Light filth is recovered by oil flotation with kerosene in a Wildman trap flask; heavy filth […]
SOP: Determination of Extraneous Material in Whole Figs
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This method covers the sampling and examination of whole figs that will be subject to no further cleaning or sorting before use or sale. The figs are examined for insect infestation, mites, mould, hairs, fibres, sand and soil, and other extraneous material, to determine […]
SOP: Determination of Extraneous Material in Whole Dates
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Whole dates that will not be cleaned or sorted again before use or sale are sampled and examined for insect infestation, mites, mould, hairs, fibres, sand, soil and other extraneous material — and, in pitted dates, for pits and pieces of pit — to […]
SOP: Determination of Extraneous Material in Green and Roasted Whole Coffee Beans
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Green and roasted whole coffee beans are examined for insect infestation, mould, hairs, fibres, sand, soil and other extraneous material. Each analytical unit is examined bean by bean under the microscope, every bean is classified into a defect category, and the percent defectives are […]
SOP: Determination of Extraneous Material in Cocoa Beans
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Cocoa beans are sampled and examined for insect infestation and mould to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4, 5 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act. The cut surfaces of the beans are examined visually for insects, mould and their damage, […]
SOP: Determination of Extraneous Material in Alimentary Paste Products
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Extraneous material in alimentary paste is divided into light filth and heavy filth. Light filth elements (insects, insect fragments, mites, hairs, feather barbules) are isolated by acid digestion of the product, sieving, and separation in a mineral-oil interface in a percolator. Heavy filth particles […]
SOP: Detection of Listeria spp. in Environmental Samples Using the FoodChek Listeria spp. Method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method is applicable to the rapid detection of Listeria spp. to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. This method has been validated for a variety of environmental surfaces. The […]
SOP: Detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Food Products by the VIDAS UP E. coli O157 (including H7) Method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle The VIDAS UP E. coli O157 (including H7) method — also known as the E. coli Phage Technology (ECPT) method — is an automated assay built on the ELFA technique (Enzyme-Linked Fluorescent Assay), for use on the VIDAS family of instruments. A Solid Phase Receptacle […]
SOP: Identification of Listeria monocytogenes by AccuProbe (AccuProbe Rapid DNA Probe Test)
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method is for the rapid identification of Listeria monocytogenes to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act. It has been validated for use on isolates from methods MFLP-74, MFHPB-07, and MFHPB-30. The AccuProbe Listeria monocytogenes […]
SOP: Detection of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157 (EHEC) in Food Products and Food Ingredients by the VIP Gold for EHEC Method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method detects enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157 (EHEC) in food products and food ingredients to determine compliance with Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. It is validated for use in raw processed and raw unprocessed meats […]
SOP: Identification of vt1 and vt2 Genes from Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli by Polymerase Chain Reaction
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Following the detection procedure, presumptive positive colonies are subjected to a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedure which amplifies a specific DNA sequence of the toxin gene. The primers used in the PCR are highly specific for verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC), and do not amplify DNA […]
SOP: Enumeration of Coliforms in Foods and Environmental Samples Using 3M Petrifilm High-Sensitivity Coliform Count (HSCC) Plates
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Application. This method enumerates coliform bacteria in foods and environmental samples. Tolerance guidelines are specific to the product tested. This revised method replaces MFLP-85, dated October 1996. Petrifilm plates are a ready-to-use product of the 3M Company. Culture medium is coated onto films, so traditional […]
SOP: Method for the ImmunoMagnetic Separation of Salmonella Species by Dynabeads anti-Salmonella
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method concentrates Salmonella spp. by immunomagnetic separation (IMS). It is applicable to the concentration of Salmonella spp. and has been validated for animal feed. This edition replaces MFLP-84, dated October 2001. The Dynabeads ImmunoMagenetic Separation technology uses magnetically charged polystyrene beads with Salmonella-specific polyclonal […]
SOP: Detection of Escherichia coli O157 by the Merck Singlepath E. coli O157 kit
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method detects Escherichia coli O157 in food products, to check compliance with Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act. A positive result must be confirmed with a cultural method. The method has been validated for the food category Raw Meat Products […]
SOP: Detection of Listeria spp. in Environmental Surface Samples Using the BAX System Real-Time PCR Assay for Listeria Genus
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method is applicable to the rapid detection of Listeria spp. in environmental surface samples, to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. It has been validated for a variety of […]
SOP: Identification of Listeria monocytogenes from foods and environmental samples by the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method is applicable to the rapid identification of Listeria monocytogenes colonies to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act. It has been validated for use on isolates from foods, as well as environmental and clinical […]
SOP: Detection of Listeria monocytogenes and other Listeria spp. in food products and environmental samples by the VIDAS Listeria species Xpress (LSX) method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method is applicable to the rapid detection of Listeria monocytogenes and other Listeria spp. to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act. The method has been validated for use in raw meats, dairy products, fruits […]
SOP: Detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Raw Meat Trim and Raw Ground Meat Using the BAX System Real-Time E. coli O157:H7 Assay
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method detects Escherichia coli O157:H7/NM (including non-motile strains that still carry the H7 genes) in raw ground meat and raw meat trim that do not contain spices, to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act […]
SOP: Procedure for the Isolation of Salmonella species by the Modified Semi-Solid Rappaport Vassiliadis (MSRV) Method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality (Health Canada, Compendium of Analytical Methods, Volume 3 — Laboratory Procedure MFLP-75, March 2016) Principle This procedure detects motile Salmonella spp. to determine compliance with Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. It is validated for raw unprocessed […]
SOP: Enumeration of Listeria monocytogenes in Foods
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method is Health Canada’s reference method for the enumeration of viable Listeria monocytogenes, applicable to all foods, for determining compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and other relevant federal regulations. A portion of the product […]
SOP: Detection of Listeria spp. in foods and environmental samples using the Oxoid Listeria Rapid Test
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method gives a rapid detection of Listeria spp. to show compliance with Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act. It has been validated for raw meat, raw unprocessed seafood, raw frozen vegetables, cheese made from unpasteurized milk, and environmental samples. This […]
SOP: Characterization of Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) Colonies by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Cloth-Based Hybridization Array System (CHAS) for Virulence Markers and Seven O Serogroups
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method identifies seven O serogroups of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) as viable colonies isolated from foods on selective plating media. It is used to determine compliance with Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. A multiplex […]
SOP: Determination of Water Activity Using the Aqualab Instrument
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method measures the water activity (a_w) of foods and food ingredients to determine compliance with Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and any other relevant federal regulations. It may not be applicable to foods containing volatile components. (This revised method […]
SOP: Enumeration of generic E. coli and other coliform bacteria from all foods using RAPID’E. coli 2 chromogenic media
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method is applicable to the rapid detection of generic Escherichia coli and other coliform bacteria, to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. The method has been validated for the […]
SOP: Measuring Water Activity (aw) Using the Novasina aw Center
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Health Canada, Compendium of Analytical Methods, Volume 3 — Laboratory Procedure MFLP-63, January 2006 (replaces MFLP-63, dated April 1999) Principle This method is used to determine the water activity (aw) of foods, to establish compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food […]
SOP: Determination of Verotoxin genes in Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli isolates
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method determines the presence of the verotoxin genes in verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) colonies isolated from foods. It can be used to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. Following […]
SOP: Detection of Listeria spp. in food products and environmental surface samples with VIDAS UP Listeria (LPT)
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method is applicable to the rapid detection of Listeria spp. to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. It has been validated for use in raw and raw processed Fruit […]
SOP: Detection of Listeria monocytogenes from Selected Foods Using iQ-Check Listeria monocytogenes PCR Detection Kit
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method is applicable to the rapid detection of Listeria monocytogenes to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. It has been validated for use in ready-to-eat meat and poultry, fruit […]
SOP: Identification of Listeria monocytogenes colonies by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and cloth-based hybridization array system (CHAS)
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle The cloth-based hybridization array system (CHAS) is a DNA amplification and hybridization platform that lets colonies isolated on plating media be checked for marker gene sequences known to be associated with specific pathogenic bacteria. The L. monocytogenes CHAS (Lm-CHAS) identifies definitive gene sequences associated with […]
SOP: Isolation and identification of priority verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) in foods
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle The method is applicable to the recovery and identification of priority verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) — that is, VTEC having a high rate of association with food-borne illness. It can be used to determine compliance with Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs […]
SOP: Detection of Listeria species in Stainless steel Surfaces by the ADIAFOOD Rapid Pathogen Detection System
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method is applicable to the rapid detection of Listeria species to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. Positive results must be confirmed with a cultural method. This method has […]
SOP: Detection of Clostridium botulinum in honey and syrups
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method detects Clostridium botulinum in honey and syrups. Botulinal spores are removed from the liquid portion of the sample by membrane filtration, the membrane is cultivated in a liquid medium, the culture is analysed for toxin, and the toxin is identified with specific botulinal […]
SOP: Detection of Salmonella spp. in Food Products and Environmental Surfaces by the VIDAS UP Salmonella (SPT) Method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method is applicable to the rapid detection of Salmonella spp. in food products to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. Positive results must be confirmed with a cultural method. […]
SOP: Isolation of Yersinia enterocolitica from Foods and Environmental Samples
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method is applicable to the isolation and identification of Yersinia enterocolitica from foods and environmental samples to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act. This method replaces MFLP-48, dated January 1999. Y. enterocolitica is a […]
SOP: Isolation of Thermophilic Campylobacter from Food
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method isolates the thermotolerant and microaerophilic bacteria of the genus Campylobacter from raw poultry products, raw meat unprocessed, dairy products (with the exception of cheeses), molluscan shellfish, and environmental samples (stainless steel) to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of […]
SOP: Determination of Sodium Chloride (Salt) in Foods and Other Samples by Quantab Chloride Titrators
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method can be used to determine the chloride content of most foods. The kit gives results as % sodium chloride or ppm Cl⁻ ions on a wet weight basis. To determine % brine, the moisture content of the sample must also be determined. Where […]
SOP: Determination of aerobic and anaerobic sporeformers
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method is applicable to the enumeration of viable sporeforming microorganisms to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act. This revised method replaces MFLP-44 dated April 1998. The aerobic sporeformers count (ASF) and the anaerobic sporeformers […]
SOP: Determination of Enterobacteriaceae
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method is applicable to the enumeration of viable Enterobacteriaceae in accordance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act. This revised method replaces MFLP-43, dated May 1988. This method has been shown to produce satisfactory results with naturally-contaminated […]
SOP: Isolation and Enumeration of the Bacillus cereus Group in Foods
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method is applicable to the isolation, identification and enumeration of the Bacillus cereus group (with limitations as described in the method) in foods, in accordance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act. This revised method replaces MFLP-42, […]
SOP: Detection of Salmonella spp. in Foods and Environmental Surfaces Using iQ-Check Salmonella II PCR Detection Kit
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method applies to the rapid detection of Salmonella spp. to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. It has been validated for all foods and a variety of environmental surfaces. […]
SOP: Preparation of Agars, Broths and Other Reagents — Media Glossary, Sections Q–R
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This document gives the laboratory formulations of the agars, broths and other reagents in the Media Glossary that fall under the letters Q–R. For each medium it lists the basal medium ingredients with their quantities, any supplements, and the complete-medium preparation steps, so that the […]
SOP: Preparation of Agars, Broths and Other Reagents — Media Glossary, Section N
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This document gives the laboratory formulations of the agars, broths and other reagents in the Media Glossary that begin with the letter N. For each medium or reagent it lists the basal medium ingredients with their quantities and the complete-medium preparation steps, so that each […]
SOP: Preparation of Agars, Broths and Other Reagents — Media Glossary, Section O
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This document gives the laboratory formulations of the agars, broths and other reagents in the Media Glossary that begin with the letter O. For each medium it lists the basal medium ingredients with their quantities, any supplement, and the complete-medium preparation steps, so that the […]
SOP: Environmental Sampling for the Detection of Microorganisms
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This procedure applies to sampling the environment for microorganisms in food establishments in support of compliance activities relative to Section 7 of the Food and Drugs Act, and Health Canada policies such as the Policy on Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) food and Canadian Food […]
SOP: Detection of Salmonella in Food Products by the VIDAS Easy Salmonella (SLM) Method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle The VIDAS Easy Salmonella (SLM) method is an enzyme immunoassay run on the VIDAS instrument for the detection of Salmonella antigens, using the ELFA technique (Enzyme Linked Fluorescent Assay). The internal surface of the Solid Phase Receptacle (SPR), a pipette-tip-like disposable device, is pre-coated during […]
SOP: Detection of Listeria spp. from Environmental Surface Samples and Heat Processed Ready-to-Eat Meat and Poultry Using iQ-Check Listeria spp. Real-Time PCR Detection Kit
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method is applicable to the rapid detection of Listeria spp. to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. It has been validated for a variety of environmental surfaces and for […]
SOP: Detection, Isolation, and Enumeration of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and/or Vibrio vulnificus in Seafood
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method detects, isolates, and enumerates Vibrio parahaemolyticus and/or Vibrio vulnificus in fish, including shellfish and crustaceans, to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. This revised method replaces MFLP-37, dated […]
SOP: Detection of Salmonella in Foods and Environmental Surface Samples — Assurance GDS for Salmonella Tq Genetic Detection System
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method detects Salmonella spp. to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. It has been validated for use in all foods and environmental surface samples except for two food categories: […]
SOP: Detection of Listeria spp. in foods and environmental surface samples by the VIP Gold method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method is applicable to the rapid detection of Listeria spp. to determine compliance with the requirements of Section 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. It has been validated for raw meat, raw fish and crustaceans, raw […]
SOP: Detection of Listeria monocytogenes in Foods by the VIDAS LMO 2 Method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle The VIDAS LMO 2 assay is an enzyme-linked fluorescent immunoassay (ELFA) run on the VIDAS system for the qualitative detection of Listeria monocytogenes. During production, the inner surface of the Solid Phase Receptacle (SPR) — a disposable, pipette-tip-like device — is pre-coated with anti-L. monocytogenes […]
SOP: Detection of Salmonella spp. using the ADIAFOOD Rapid Pathogen Detection System, a Real-Time PCR Technique
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method detects Salmonella species to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. Positive results must be confirmed with a cultural method. The method has been validated for heat processed dairy […]
SOP: Identification of Listeria monocytogenes using the Adiafood Rapid Pathogen Detection System, a Real-Time PCR Technique
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Following an initial 24 hour pre-enrichment that is common with the cultural method for the isolation of Listeria monocytogenes (MFHPB-30), an aliquot of the broth is transferred onto a Palcam agar slant for an additional 18 to 24 hours. The cell suspension obtained by washing […]
SOP: Detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Select Foods Using the BAX System PCR Assay for E. coli O157:H7 MP
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method detects Escherichia coli O157:H7 in select foods to determine compliance with Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and other relevant federal regulations. It has been validated for dairy products, raw meat products, ready-to-eat meat and poultry products, fruit- and […]
SOP: Detection of Salmonella in Foods and Environmental Surface Samples Using the BAX System Salmonella Assay
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method detects Salmonella species in foods and environmental surface samples to assess compliance with Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and other relevant federal regulations. Positive results must be confirmed with a cultural method. The method has been validated for […]
SOP: Detection of Listeria monocytogenes in a Variety of Foods and Environmental Surfaces Using the BAX System L. monocytogenes Assay
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method detects Listeria monocytogenes to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and other relevant federal regulations. It is validated for all foods and a variety of environmental surfaces on the BAX system Q7 or […]
SOP: The Dupont Qualicon Bax System Method for the Detection of Enterobacter sakazakii in Selected Foods
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method is applicable to the detection of Enterobacter sakazakii in selected foods, including powdered infant formula, dry dairy and soy ingredients, and food production environmental samples after enrichment. The BAX system is a yes/no screening tool that uses Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technology for […]
SOP: Detection of Shigella spp. in Foods by the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Following enrichment of samples in Shigella broth with novobiocin, a portion of the enrichment broth is treated and then subjected to a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedure which amplifies a 629-base-pair (bp) fragment within the 220-kbp invasive plasmids and chromosomal DNA of Shigella spp. The […]
SOP: Isolation and Identification of Shigella spp. from Foods
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle A portion of the food sample is enriched in a selective broth containing novobiocin, then plated onto selective-differential agars for the isolation of Shigella spp. Presumptive Shigella isolates are screened and identified by biochemical testing and serology. The method is based on the FDA Bacteriological […]
SOP: Specific Detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus Strains Using a Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Based on the R72H Taxonomic Marker and the Hemolysin Genes TDH and TRH
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method identifies strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus by a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) that amplifies three DNA sequences at once: the r72h fragment of the V. parahaemolyticus genome (the species identifier), the tdh gene (thermostable direct hemolysin), and the trh gene (tdh-related hemolysin). The […]
SOP: Characterization of Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli O157:H7 Colonies by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Cloth-Based Hybridization Array System (CHAS)
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle The cloth-based hybridization array system (CHAS) is a DNA amplification and hybridization platform that allows colonies isolated on plating media to be checked for marker gene sequences associated with specific pathogenic bacteria. The E. coli O157:H7 CHAS picks up definitive gene sequences associated with this […]
SOP: Enumeration of Staphylococcus aureus in Foods and Environmental Samples Using 3M Petrifilm Staph Express Count (STX) Plates
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method enumerates Staphylococcus aureus bacteria in foods and environmental samples. Tolerance guidelines are specific to the product tested. Petrifilm plates are a ready-to-use product developed by the 3M Company. Media are coated onto films, so that traditional media preparation is unnecessary, and both labour […]
SOP: The GeneQuence Salmonella Microwell Assay for the Detection of Salmonella spp.
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle The GeneQuence Salmonella Microwell assay is a DNA probe-based diagnostic in kit format for the detection of Salmonella spp. in select foods and environmental surface samples. Results are available in approximately 48 hours. Salmonella-specific oligonucleotide probes labelled with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) are hybridized to ribosomal […]
SOP: Detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Foods — Assurance GDS for E. coli O157:H7 Tq Gene Detection System
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle A gene-based assay for the detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and toxigenic E. coli O157:NM (non-motile) in foods. After enrichment, target microorganisms are concentrated from the sample, then each concentrated sample is transferred to an amplification tube containing specific primers and proprietary probes directed against […]
SOP: Detection of Listeria Species from Environmental Surfaces Using the BAX System Genus Listeria Assay
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method detects Listeria spp. on environmental surfaces to assess compliance with Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and other relevant federal regulations. Positive results must be confirmed with a cultural method. The method has been validated for a variety of […]
SOP: The Genequence Listeria monocytogenes assay for the detection of Listeria monocytogenes in raw meat and stainless steel surfaces
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Note: The method’s title block prints “Genequence”; the Principle section prints “GeneQuence”. Both are carried as printed. Principle This qualitative test detects Listeria monocytogenes in foods by DNA hybridization. Specific DNA probes for L. monocytogenes, labeled directly with horseradish peroxidase, give a colorimetric endpoint after broth-culture […]
SOP: The Genequence Listeria spp. assay for the detection of Listeria spp. in foods and environmental surfaces
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Application This method applies to the rapid detection of Listeria spp. for checking compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act. It has been validated for raw meat, raw unprocessed seafood, raw frozen vegetables, cheese made from unpasteurized milk, […]
SOP: Identification of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Verotoxin-Producing Escherichia coli O157:NM Using the ADIAFOOD Rapid Pathogen Detection System, a Real-Time PCR Technique
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method uses the ADIAFOOD Rapid Pathogen Detection System to identify Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7) strains and verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:NM (E. coli O157:NM) strains from raw ground beef. After the sample enrichment procedure, the enrichment broth is subjected to a real-time polymerase […]
SOP: Identification of Yersinia enterocolitica Colonies by Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method is for the rapid identification of Yersinia enterocolitica colonies isolated by standard culture for Y. enterocolitica. It characterizes and identifies presumptive positive colonies isolated on validated plating media routinely used in the isolation of this pathogen, and can be used to determine compliance […]
SOP: Detection of Escherichia coli O157 (including H7) in Select Foods Using the Neogen Molecular Detection System Test Kit Version 2
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality (The source prints a registered mark after “Neogen” in the title, the Principle, and several materials; the mark does not appear in the kit codes. The mark is dropped here per GIFSQ practice.) Principle The Neogen Molecular Detection Assays use isothermal amplification of nucleic acid sequences […]
SOP: Detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7/NM in Select Foods Using the BAX System Real-Time PCR Assay for E. coli O157:H7 Exact
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method is applicable to the detection of E. coli O157:H7/NM to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. The method has been validated using the BAX System Q7 instrument for […]
SOP: Enumeration of Escherichia coli Using Compact Dry EC Medium Count Plates
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle The method is applicable to the enumeration of viable Escherichia coli to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. It has been validated for use with raw milk cheeses, raw meat, […]
SOP: Detection of Listeria Species in a Variety of Environmental Surface Samples Using the GENE-UP Listeria spp. 2 (LIS 2) Method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method detects Listeria species in a variety of environmental surface samples to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. GENE-UP Listeria spp. 2 (LIS 2) is a real-time polymerase chain […]
SOP: Detection of Listeria monocytogenes in Foods Using the 3M Molecular Detection System Test Kit Version 2
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method is applicable to the rapid detection of Listeria monocytogenes to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. This method has been validated for use in the food categories raw […]
SOP: Detection of Listeria monocytogenes in Dairy Products Using the ANSR for Listeria monocytogenes Test Kit
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality (Health Canada, Compendium of Analytical Methods, Volume 3 — Laboratory Procedure MFLP-110, August 2020.) Principle The method applies to the rapid detection of Listeria monocytogenes to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal […]
SOP: Enumeration of Listeria Species in Environmental Samples Using 3M Petrifilm Environmental Listeria Plates
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Application This method applies to the enumeration of viable Listeria species in environmental samples It cannot be used as a screening method for the absence of L. monocytogenes and other Listeria species; to determine absence, a qualitative (presence/absence) method must be used, e.g. MFHPB-30 This revised […]
SOP: Enumeration of Coagulase-Positive Staphylococci (Staphylococcus aureus) in a Variety of Foods using the TEMPO STA (Staphylococcus aureus) method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method is applicable to the enumeration of coagulase-positive staphylococci (Staphylococcus aureus) to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. This method has been validated for use in all foods excluding […]
SOP: Enumeration of Yeasts and Molds in a Variety of Foods using the TEMPO YM (Yeasts/Molds Count) method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method is applicable to the enumeration of yeasts and molds to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. This method has been validated for use in all foods excluding strongly […]
SOP: Enumeration of Escherichia coli in a Variety of Foods using the TEMPO EC (E. coli Count) method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method enumerates Escherichia coli in foods to determine compliance with Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and other relevant federal regulations. It is validated for all foods except strongly coloured foods (the primary dilution may need a higher dilution for […]
SOP: Enumeration of Coliforms in a Variety of Foods Using the TEMPO CC (Coliform Count) Method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Health Canada, Compendium of Analytical Methods, Volume 3 — Laboratory Procedure MFLP-106, October 2018. (This method carries no “replaces” line.) Principle This method is applicable to the enumeration of coliforms to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs […]
SOP: Determination of Viable Aerobic Mesophilic Bacteria in Foods using the TEMPO AC (Aerobic Count) Method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Health Canada, Compendium of Analytical Methods, Volume 3 — Laboratory Procedure MFLP-105, August 2018. Health Products and Food Branch. Principle This method enumerates viable aerobic mesophilic bacteria to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other […]
SOP: Detection of Listeria Species in Environmental Surface Samples Using the RapidChek Listeria NextDay System
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method is applicable to the detection of Listeria species (spp.) for determining compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. It is validated for use on a variety of environmental surface samples. […]
SOP: Identification of Vibrio parahaemolyticus Colonies by Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method applies to the rapid identification of Vibrio parahaemolyticus colonies isolated by standard culture for V. parahaemolyticus. It is used to characterize and identify presumptive positive colonies isolated on validated plating medium used in the isolation of this pathogen. The method can also be […]
SOP: Detection of Listeria spp. in Environmental Surface Samples Using the 3M Molecular Detection System Test Kit Version 2
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method supports rapid detection of Listeria spp. to show compliance with Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and other applicable federal regulations, and it has been validated for a variety of environmental surfaces. The 3M Molecular Detection Assays use isothermal […]
SOP: Detection of Salmonella spp. in Foods Using the 3M Molecular Detection System Test Kit Version 2
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method applies to the detection of Salmonella spp. to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. Positive results must be confirmed with a cultural method. It has been validated for […]
SOP: Enumeration of Total Aerobic Bacteria in Food Products and Food Ingredients Using Compact Dry Aerobic Count Plates
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle Compact Dry TC is a ready-to-use, chromogenic plate for the total viable bacterial count, developed by HyServe GmbH & Co. KG (Uffing, Germany). Compact Dry combines the features of traditional plate media with the modern features of dehydrated film media. Compact Dry TC is a […]
SOP: Enumeration of Enterobacteriaceae Species in Food and Environmental Samples Using 3M Petrifilm Enterobacteriaceae Count Plates
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle 3M Petrifilm plates are a ready-to-use product. The medium is coated onto films, so traditional media preparation is unnecessary, and both labour and time are saved. The 3M Petrifilm Enterobacteriaceae Count Plate (or 3M Petrifilm EB Plate) is a sample-ready culture medium containing selective agents, […]
SOP: Detection of Listeria species in foods and environmental surfaces using the Assurance GDS Listeria spp. Tq genetic detection system
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This method gives a rapid genetic (gene-based) detection of Listeria species in selected foods and on environmental surfaces, to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and other relevant federal regulations. It applies to heat-processed and […]
SOP: The detection of Listeria monocytogenes in foods and environmental surfaces using the Assurance GDS Listeria monocytogenes Tq Genetic Detection System
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Application This method is applicable to the rapid detection of Listeria monocytogenes to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. Positive results must be confirmed with a cultural method. This method is […]
SOP: The Atlas E. coli O157:H7 EG2 Detection Assay for Detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Raw Ground Beef and Raw Beef Trim
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Application This method is applicable to the rapid detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7, including non-motile (NM) strains, to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. Positive results must be confirmed with a […]
SOP: Isolation of Listeria monocytogenes from Food Samples
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Application This method is used for the rapid isolation and identification of viable Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) meats and poultry, dairy products, fruit and vegetable-based products, and the smoked fish food type of the fish and seafood products food category, to determine compliance with Sections […]
SOP: Enumeration of Coliforms in Food Products and Food Ingredients Using 3M Petrifilm Coliform Count Plates
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Petrifilm plates are a ready-to-use product developed by the 3M Company, St. Paul, MN. The media are coated onto films, so traditional media preparation is unnecessary, and savings in both labour and time are realized. Coliforms are enumerated on the Petrifilm Coliform Count (CC) […]
SOP: Enumeration of Total Aerobic Bacteria in Food Products and Food Ingredients Using 3M Petrifilm Aerobic Count Plates
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This method enumerates aerobic bacteria in food products and food ingredients; it may also be used for environmental sampling (laboratory procedure MFLP-41). It can be used to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or […]
SOP: Enumeration of Yeast and Mould in Food Products and Food Ingredients Using 3M Petrifilm Yeast and Mold Count Plates
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Ready-to-use Petrifilm plates from 3M Company (St. Paul, MN) replace traditional medium preparation and save labour and time. Yeasts and moulds are enumerated on the Petrifilm Yeast and Mould Count (YM) plates, which carry dry medium and a cold-water-soluble gelling agent. A 1 mL […]
SOP: Determination of Coliforms in Foods Using Violet Red Bile Agar
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This method enumerates coliforms in foods and food ingredients to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act. Where an Official Method is specified for certain products, that method is followed. The method is not applicable […]
SOP: Isolation of Listeria monocytogenes and other Listeria spp. from foods and environmental samples
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This method detects viable Listeria species in food and environmental samples. A portion of the product (or an environmental sample such as a sponge or swab) is enriched first in a primary broth, then in a secondary enrichment broth, plated onto a specified agar […]
SOP: Detection of Listeria spp. in Foods and Environmental Samples by the VIDAS Listeria Method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality This method (HPB Method MFHPB-29, March 2012) is applicable to the rapid detection of Listeria spp. for determining compliance with Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act. It has been validated for use in environmental samples and all foods except ready-to-eat meat and […]
SOP: Determination of Staphylococcus aureus Thermostable Nuclease in Foods
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Staphylococcus aureus makes a thermostable nuclease (TNase) that survives the heating steps used in food processing, much like staphylococcal enterotoxins. Viable cells may die off during processing and storage, so counting S. aureus in a finished food is not always a reliable guide to […]
SOP: Enumeration of Escherichia coli in Foods by a Direct Plating (DP) Method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Escherichia coli biotype 1 is enumerated in foods and food ingredients to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act. The conventional Most Probable Number (MPN) procedure takes 8 to 12 days to complete; the Direct […]
SOP: Detection of Salmonella spp. in Foods by the VIDAS SLM Method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This method applies to the detection of Salmonella spp. in all foods, for compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and/or other relevant federal regulations. Any presumptive-positive result is confirmed with a cultural method. This method […]
SOP: Enumeration of Clostridium perfringens in Foods
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This procedure estimates the number of viable Clostridium perfringens per g or mL of food. A portion of the product is mixed with a selective sulfite cycloserine agar by the pour-plate technique and incubated anaerobically. Typical black colonies are counted as presumptive C. perfringens; […]
SOP: Enumeration of Yeasts and Moulds in Foods
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle A culture medium carrying enough nutrients for growth of most yeasts and moulds, together with antibiotics that suppress most bacteria, is inoculated with a measured quantity of the product and incubated; colonies are counted after 5 days at 22–25 °C. The count, in colony-forming […]
SOP: Enumeration of Coagulase-Positive Staphylococcus aureus in Foods
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Certain staphylococci produce the enterotoxins that cause staphylococcal food poisoning, and with few exceptions this ability is limited to coagulase-positive strains. Known quantities (or dilutions) of a food sample are plated on the selective medium Baird-Parker (BP) agar, which has been validated for a […]
SOP: Isolation and Identification of Salmonella from Food and Environmental Surface Samples
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This is Health Canada’s cultural reference method for finding viable Salmonella species in foods and environmental surface samples, used to judge compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act and other relevant federal regulations. A portion of […]
SOP: Enumeration of Coliforms, Faecal Coliforms and E. coli in Foods Using the MPN Method
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Coliforms, faecal coliforms and Escherichia coli are used as indicator organisms: their presence in foods processed for safety can point to inadequate processing, post-processing contamination or microbial growth, and the presence of faecal coliforms and E. coli can point to faecal contamination. These terms […]
SOP: Determination of the Aerobic Colony Counts in Foods
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle The Aerobic Colony Count (ACC) estimates the number of viable aerobic bacteria per g or mL of a food. A portion of the food is mixed with a plate count agar medium and incubated under defined conditions of time and temperature; each viable aerobic […]
SOP: Detection of Clostridium botulinum and Its Toxins in Suspect Foods and Clinical Specimens
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Foodborne botulism is confirmed in the laboratory when botulinal toxin and/or viable Clostridium botulinum is found in a suspect food or a clinical specimen, alongside the clinical syndrome. Toxin is detected by injecting serum or extracts from foods and clinical specimens into mice, watching […]
SOP: Isolation of Escherichia coli O157:H7/NM from Foods and Environmental Surface Samples
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This is Health Canada’s standard cultural reference method for determining the presence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and non-motile (NM) strains in foods and environmental surface samples. Some E. coli O157:H7 strains lose expression of the H7 flagellar antigen and become non-motile, yet still carry […]
SOP: Isolation of Listeria monocytogenes and Other Listeria spp. from Foods and Environmental Samples Using Palcam Broth
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This method determines the presence of viable Listeria monocytogenes and other Listeria species in the product. A portion of the product is enriched first in a pre-enrichment broth (Palcam), then in an enrichment broth (UVM 2), plated onto a specified selective agar medium plus […]
SOP: Examination and Evaluation of Hermetically Sealed Metal Cans and Glass Containers
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Defects that could compromise the hermetic seal of food containers are detected by a physical examination and by tearing down the double seams of metal cans. The method applies to all two- and three-piece metal cans with conventional double seams, and to glass containers […]
SOP: Determination of Micro-Leaks in Hermetically Sealed Metal and Glass Containers
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Micro-leaks in hermetically sealed containers are found by subjecting an emptied, cleaned and dried container to a known vacuum or pressure and watching for air bubbles where air escapes. Applying a special dye at the test site lets a leak be seen visually as […]
SOP: Measurement of the Internal Pressure (Negative or Positive) of Foods in Hermetically Sealed Rigid Containers
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle A direct-reading Bourdon-tube gauge fitted with a self-sealing port is used to puncture the container and take a direct reading of its internal vacuum or pressure. The gauge measures the vacuum or pressure inside the sealed container relative to the standard atmospheric pressure at […]
SOP: Determination of the pH of Foods Including Foods in Hermetically Sealed Containers
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle The pH of a food — a measure of its hydrogen ion concentration — is found by dipping a single combination pH electrode directly into the food, or into a sample of the food that has been blended to a slurry. Modern pH meters […]
SOP: Direct Microscopic Examination of Foods in Hermetically Sealed Containers
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Simple stained smears and wet mounts are prepared from canned foods or other hermetically sealed containers that are microbiologically suspect, then examined under the microscope and the results recorded. Morphological characteristics of the organisms present are ascertained to determine whether they have public health […]
SOP: Determination of Commercial Sterility and the Presence of Viable Microorganisms in Canned Foods
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle The contents of hermetically sealed foods are sampled aseptically and inoculated into suitable media to determine whether any viable microorganisms are present. A portion of the product is mixed with specified media and incubated under defined conditions of time and temperature. Under those conditions […]
SOP: Preparation of Agars, Broths and Other Reagents — Media Glossary, Sections X–Y
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This document gives the laboratory formulation of the agar in the Media Glossary that falls under sections X–Y. For the medium it lists the basal medium ingredients with their quantities and the complete-medium preparation steps, so that the medium can be prepared in the laboratory […]
SOP: Preparation of Agars, Broths and Other Reagents — Media Glossary, Section W
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This document gives the laboratory formulations of the agars, broths and other reagents in the Media Glossary that begin with the letter W. For each medium it lists the basal medium ingredients with their quantities, any supplement, and the complete-medium preparation steps, so that the […]
SOP: Preparation of Agars, Broths and Other Reagents — Media Glossary, Section V
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This document gives the laboratory formulations of the agars, broths and other reagents in the Media Glossary that begin with the letter V. For each medium it lists the basal medium ingredients with their quantities and the complete-medium preparation steps, so that the medium can […]
SOP: Preparation of Agars, Broths and Other Reagents — Media Glossary, Section U
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This document gives the laboratory formulations of the agars, broths and other reagents in the Media Glossary that begin with the letter U. For each medium it lists the basal medium ingredients with their quantities, any supplement, and the complete-medium preparation steps, so that the […]
SOP: Preparation of Agars, Broths and Other Reagents — Media Glossary, Section T
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This document gives the laboratory formulations of the agars, broths and other reagents in the Media Glossary that begin with the letter T. For each medium it lists the basal medium ingredients with their quantities, any supplement, and the complete-medium preparation steps, so that the […]
SOP: Preparation of Agars, Broths and Other Reagents — Media Glossary, Section S
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This document gives the laboratory formulations of the agars, broths and other reagents in the Media Glossary that begin with the letter S. For each medium it lists the basal medium ingredients with their quantities, any supplement, and the complete-medium preparation steps, so that the […]
SOP: Preparation of Agars, Broths and Other Reagents — Media Glossary, Section P
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This document gives the laboratory formulations of the agars, broths and other reagents in the Media Glossary that begin with the letter P. For each medium it lists the basal medium ingredients with their quantities, any supplement, and the complete-medium preparation steps, so that the […]
SOP: Preparation of Agars, Broths and Other Reagents — Media Glossary, Section M
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This document gives the laboratory formulations of the agars, broths and other reagents in the Media Glossary that begin with the letter M. For each medium it lists the basal medium ingredients with their quantities, any supplement, and the complete-medium preparation steps, so that the […]
SOP: Preparation of Agars, Broths and Other Reagents — Media Glossary, Section L
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This document gives the laboratory formulations of the agars, broths and other reagents in the Media Glossary that begin with the letter L. For each medium it lists the basal medium ingredients with their quantities, any supplement, and the complete-medium preparation steps, so that the […]
SOP: Preparation of Agars, Broths and Other Reagents — Media Glossary, Section I
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This document gives the laboratory formulations of the reagents in the Media Glossary that begin with the letter I. For each reagent it lists the basal medium ingredients with their quantities and the complete-medium preparation steps, so that the reagent can be prepared in the […]
SOP: Preparation of Agars, Broths and Other Reagents — Media Glossary, Section H
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This document gives the laboratory formulations of the agars, broths and other reagents in the Media Glossary that begin with the letter H. For each medium it lists the basal medium ingredients with their quantities, any supplement, and the complete-medium preparation steps, so that the […]
SOP: Preparation of Agars, Broths and Other Reagents — Media Glossary, Section G
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This document gives the laboratory formulations of the agars, broths and other reagents in the Media Glossary that begin with the letter G. For each medium it lists the basal medium ingredients with their quantities and the complete-medium preparation steps, so that the medium can […]
SOP: Preparation of Fraser Broth — Media Glossary, Section F
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This document gives the laboratory formulation of Fraser Broth (FB), also designated Modified Fraser Broth (MFB), a selective enrichment broth used in the analytical methods of the compendium. It lists the basal medium ingredients with their quantities, the ferric ammonium citrate supplement, and the complete-medium […]
SOP: Preparation of Agars, Broths and Other Reagents — Media Glossary, Section E
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This document gives the laboratory formulations of the agars, broths and other reagents in the Media Glossary that begin with the letter E. For each item it lists the basal medium ingredients with their quantities, any supplement, and the complete-medium preparation steps, so that the […]
SOP: Preparation of Selected Culture Media and Reagents — Media Glossary, Section D
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This SOP covers five standard preparations taken from Section D of the Media Glossary: three selective agar media for yeasts and moulds, one basal medium for amino-acid decarboxylase tests, and one chlorine disinfecting solution for containers. Each entry gives the ingredient quantities for the […]
SOP: Preparation of Agars, Broths and Other Reagents (Section C — Media Glossary)
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This section gives the compositions and the complete preparation instructions for the agars, broths, transport medium, plasma reagent and staining solution listed in the glossary: Campylobacter agar with charcoal and deoxycholate (CCDA), carbohydrate fermentation agar and broth for Listeria identification, Cary and Blair transport medium, […]
SOP: Preparation of Microbiological Media and Reagents — Glossary, Section B
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Purpose This glossary lists the agars, broths, and other reagents prepared for use in food microbiological methods, from Baird-Parker medium to Buffered Peptone Water. Each entry gives the basal composition (quantities per 1.0 L of water unless stated) and the steps to prepare the complete […]
SOP: MPN Enumeration of Listeria monocytogenes Recovered from Environmental Surfaces
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Cells of Listeria monocytogenes recovered from an environmental surface with a sponge or a swab are distributed across the wells of a 96-well plate containing enrichment broth. After incubation, a drop from each well is placed on differential agar in the same well pattern; […]
SOP: Preparation of Agars and Reagents — Media Glossary, Sections J–K
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This document gives the laboratory formulations of the agars and reagents in the Media Glossary that begin with the letters J and K. For each medium it lists the basal medium ingredients with their quantities, any supplement, and the complete-medium preparation steps, so that the […]
SOP: Preparation of Agars, Broths and Other Reagents — Media Glossary, Section A
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle This document gives the laboratory formulations of the agars, broths and other reagents in the Media Glossary that begin with the letter A. For each medium it lists the basal medium ingredients with their quantities, any supplement, and the complete-medium preparation steps, so that the […]
SOP: Supplement to All Methods that Detect Salmonella — RVS Broth Selective Enrichment and Disposal of SC Broth
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle This is a supplement to all methods that detect Salmonella in food, food ingredients and environmental samples, to be used together with those methods. It provides additional information: sources of materials, critical steps, confirmation steps and helpful hints. For safety and environmental reasons, selenite […]
SOP: General Laboratory Practice for Handling, Preparing and Incubating Food Samples
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Results from a food microbiology laboratory are only as good as the sample and the way it is handled before analysis. This procedure lays out the good laboratory practices that apply to all compendium methods: how to store samples on receipt, how to prepare […]
SOP: Calculation of Most Probable Numbers (MPN)
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality Principle The most probable number (MPN) estimates the number of bacteria (coliforms in the coliform test) per unit of test material from the pattern of gas-positive tubes across a three-dilution series of five tubes each. The number of positive tubes in each of the three dilutions […]
SOP: Calculating the Most Probable Number of Growth Units for Hydrophobic Grid-Membrane Filter (HGMF) Methods
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle The grid-lines of a hydrophobic grid-membrane filter (HGMF) are a hydrophobic print that divides the membrane into discrete growth compartments (grid-cells). The HGMF is treated as a multiple-tube Most Probable Number (MPN) procedure. The filter is inoculated by passing a sample suspension through the […]
SOP: Collection and Transportation of Samples
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Reliable microbiological results start before analysis: the sample taken from the lot must represent the lot, and it must reach the laboratory in the same state the consumer met it. This procedure covers how to collect sample units from a lot and how to […]
SOP: Determination of the Limit of Detection
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle The limit of detection (LOD) of an indirect qualitative method is found by artificially inoculating food matrices with known target-bacterium concentrations over a range centred near the expected LOD, with several replicates at each spiking level. After cell equilibration, the alternative (candidate) method is […]
SOP: Stressing Microorganisms in Artificially Contaminated Samples
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle In method validation, method verification and recovery studies, artificially contaminated samples should contain the target organism in the same injured state that the food’s manufacturing process or natural conditions would produce. Injured target reference organisms are therefore prepared by exposing the culture to sub-lethal […]
SOP: Determination of Sediments in Milk
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle A measured quantity of milk is filtered through a standard filter disc with a standard pump (the tester), and the character and amount of the residue retained on the disc are determined. The “off-the-bottom” method is designed for sampling milk from individual farmers’ milk […]
SOP: Examination of Canned Tomatoes, Tomato Juice and Vegetable Juice, Tomato Puree, Tomato Paste, Tomato Pulp and Tomato Catsup for Mould Filaments
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle A small, standardised portion of the product is spread in a Howard mould counting chamber and examined under the microscope. At least 25 fields are scanned per mount at 90–125× with a field diameter of 1.382 mm, and each field is scored positive or […]
SOP: Determination of Phosphatase Activity in Dairy Products
GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality 1. Principle Alkaline phosphatase is destroyed by proper pasteurization, so its residual activity serves as an index of whether dairy products were adequately pasteurized. The enzyme liberates phenol from disodium phenylphosphate during incubation; the liberated phenol is coupled with 2,6-dichloroquinonechloroimide (CQC) to form a blue colour, […]