Refers to all microorganisms present in a sample which can tolerate the presence of oxygen and does not have specific growth requirements typically not included in the formulation of general purpose media. In accordance to Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) regulation, Total Count is considered as one of the release parameters for food (frozen, chilled, precooked, and prepared food), pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical samples.
CompactDry TCR is specially formatted to allow most microorganisms to grow more rapidly than the standard CompactDry TC
Escherichia coli is a coliform which is found in the gut of warm-blooded animals making it an excellent indicator for fecal contamination. Not all E. coli are pathogenic but there are strains which can be considered as opportunistic bacteria infecting an immunocompromised host. Testing for the presence of coliform and E. coli is important in food industry, especially in monitoring water quality.
Yeasts and molds (YM are spore-forming microorganisms. These spores are resistant to harsh conditions like extreme pH, drought, and extreme temperature. YM is the index of the cleanliness of environmental bioaerosol in different production plants. Failure to comply with the tolerable amount of YM in the production area will result in food spoilage. YM can easily spoil the food due to its wide tolerance to environmental conditions. (e.g. water activity of less than 0.85 and as low as 0.45). thus based on Food and Drug Administration’s regulation, it is part of the release parameters for food and beverages, and part of the environmental monitoring system through air sampling.
Yeasts and molds (YM are spore-forming microorganisms. These spores are resistant to harsh conditions like extreme pH, drought, and extreme temperature. YM is the index of the cleanliness of environmental bioaerosol in different production plants. Failure to comply with the tolerable amount of YM in the production area will result in food spoilage. YM can easily spoil the food due to its wide tolerance to environmental conditions. (e.g. water activity of less than 0.85 and as low as 0.45). thus based on Food and Drug Administration’s regulation, it is part of the release parameters for food and beverages, and part of the environmental monitoring system through air sampling.
Staphylococcus aureus is a common human microflora, it can naturally be found on the skin, nose, and hair. Due to this, it is commonly used as index of food handlers’ personal hygiene. Thus, high staphylococcal population in food system indicates poor hygiene and sanitation. They are normally harmless but at high population, can begin forming endotoxins causing “staph” food poisoning. They can also tolerate low water activity and are opportunistic in high sugar food.
Enterobacteriaceae is a family under the Gram-negative bacteria with known characteristic of being facultative anaerobe, non-spore former, and commonly motile but non-motile genera are also present. Enterobacteriaceae is commonly found in the environment as well as the gut of animals. Almost all foodborne pathogenic bacteria fall under this family including Citrobacter, Enterobacter, Escherichia, Klebsiella, Proteus, Salmonella, Serratia, Shigella and Yersinia. Enterobacteriaceae is release parameter in various food, beverages, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic samples. As a recent development in food safety, Enterobacter sakazakii is being monitored in formula milk due to high risk of milk contamination, as well as its health impact when ingested by babies.
Bacillus cereus is Gram-positive, aerobic, spore-forming bacterium which usually thrive in soil, vegetable, and various raw and processed food products. Bacillus spores can survive adverse condition and germinate if condition improve, a trait which makes completely eliminating them difficult. Studies showed that when the bacterial population of B. cereus reached more than 106 cell/g toxins are produced, it can either emetic or diarrhetic enterotoxin which is attributed with acute attack of nausea and vomiting, or with abdominal pain and non-bloody diarrhea, respectively. With this, B. cereus is considered as a release parameter for cooked meat and vegetables, boiled and fried rice, vanilla sauce, custards, soups, and raw vegetable sprout.
Listeria are Gram-positive, motile (at mesophilic condition), psychrotrophic bacteria with six (6) known species – L. monocytogenes, L. innocua, L. seeligeri, L. welshimeri, L. ivanovii, and L. grayi. They are associated with clinical importance due to their virulence activity. But among the six species of Listeria, the most prevalent is L. monocytogenes causing listeriosis including sepsis, meningitis, encephalitis, corneal ulcer, pneumonia, cervical infection, and abortion, where elderly, immunocompromised, pregnant women and infants are the most susceptible. Due to the increasing Listeria outbreak, certain high-risk food became necessary to test for Listeria contamination. These high-risk foods are as follows: ready-to-eat seafood, pre-packed fruits and vegetables, drinks made from fresh fruit, deli meats without further cooking process, unpasteurized milk, soft-serve ice cream, soft cheeses, salad dressings, and raw vegetable garnishes.
Vibrio is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria which is characterized by a rigid curve, it is usually motile due to the single polar flagellum. V. cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus, and V. vulnificus are the three known pathogenic species of Vibrio with documented cases. Vibrio are commonly found in seawater as they can tolerate high salt concentration. Foods which are contaminated with Vibrio can lead to negative health implication starting with diarrhea, and worst, with death. Thus, it is considered as a release parameter for seafoods and seafood-based products.
Salmonella is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria comprised of only two (2) species, S. enterica and S. bongori. Together, they have more than 2,500 serovars, most of which are pathogenic. Historical reservoirs are birds or poultry but has been isolated in pet, reptiles, and low water activity food such as spices and flour. Based on the standard set by the Food and Drug Administration, Salmonella should be totally absent in all food and environmental samples. No tolerable level was set because it has a low infective dose that can lead to fatal diseases. Salmonella infection is caused by cross-contamination during evisceration of animal, washing, and transportation of carcasses and can also occur during raw material preparation. Thus, environmental monitoring procedure should be present in industries like poultry because it is highly susceptible to the contamination.
