Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005Show full title

[F1 2.1 Meat and products thereof U.K.

a n = number of units comprising the sample; c = number of sample units giving values between m and M.
b [F2 For points 2.1.3-2.1.5 and 2.1.9 m = M.]
c The most recent edition of the standard shall be used.
d The limits (m and M) shall apply only to samples taken by the destructive method. The daily mean log shall be calculated by first taking a log value of each individual test result and then calculating the mean of these log values.
e The 50 samples shall be derived from 10 consecutive sampling sessions in accordance with the sampling rules and frequencies laid down in this Regulation.
f The number of samples where the presence of salmonella is detected. The c value is subject to review in order to take into account the progress made in reducing the salmonella prevalence. Member States or regions having low salmonella prevalence may use lower c values even before the review.
g This criterion shall not apply to minced meat produced at retail level when the shelf-life of the product is less then 24 hours.
h E. coli is used here as an indicator of faecal contamination.
i These criteria apply to mechanically separated meat (MSM) produced with the techniques referred to in paragraph 3 of Chapter III of Section V of Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
j [F3 [F4 Where Salmonella spp. is found, the isolates shall be further serotyped for Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Enteritidis in order to verify compliance with the microbiological criterion set out in Row 1.28 of Chapter 1.] ]
Food category	Micro-organisms	Sampling plan a		Limits b		Analytical reference method c	Stage where the criterion applies	Action in case of unsatisfactory results
		n	c	m	M
2.1.1 Carcases of cattle, sheep, goats and horses d	Aerobic colony count			3,5 log cfu/cm 2 daily mean log	5,0 log cfu/cm 2 daily mean log	[F4 EN ISO 4833-1]	Carcases after dressing but before chilling	Improvements in slaughter hygiene and review of process controls
	Enterobacteriaceae			1,5 log cfu/cm 2 daily mean log	2,5 log cfu/cm 2 daily mean log	[F4 EN ISO 21528-2]	Carcases after dressing but before chilling	Improvements in slaughter hygiene and review of process controls
2.1.2 Carcases of pigs d	Aerobic colony count			4,0 log cfu/cm 2 daily mean log	5,0 log cfu/cm 2 daily mean log	[F4 EN ISO 4833-1]	Carcases after dressing but before chilling	Improvements in slaughter hygiene and review of process controls
	Enterobacteriaceae			2,0 log cfu/cm 2 daily mean log	3,0 log cfu/cm 2 daily mean log	[F4 EN ISO 21528-2]	Carcases after dressing but before chilling	Improvements in slaughter hygiene and review of process controls
2.1.3 Carcases of cattle, sheep, goats and horses	Salmonella	50 e	2 f	[F4 Not detected] in the area tested per carcase		[F4 EN ISO 6579-1]	Carcases after dressing but before chilling	Improvements in slaughter hygiene, review of process controls and of origin of animals
[F5 2.1.4 Carcases of pigs	Salmonella	50 e	3 f	[F4 Not detected] in the area tested per carcase		[F4 EN ISO 6579-1]	Carcases after dressing but before chilling	Improvements in slaughter hygiene and review of process controls, origin of animals and of the biosecurity measures in the farms of origin]
[F6 2.1.5 Poultry carcases of broilers and turkeys	Salmonella spp. j	50 ( 5 )	7 ( 6 ) From 1.1.2012 c = 5 for broilers From 1.1.2013 c = 5 for turkeys	[F4 Not detected] in 25 g of a pooled sample of neck skin		[F4 EN ISO 6579-1]	Carcases after chilling	Improvement in slaughter hygiene and review of process controls, origin of animals and biosecurity measures in the farms of origin]
2.1.6 Minced meat	Aerobic colony count g	5	2	5 × 10 5 cfu/g	5 × 10 6 cfu/g	[F4 EN ISO 4833-1]	End of the manufacturing process	Improvements in production hygiene and improvements in selection and/or origin of raw materials
	E. coli h	5	2	50 cfu/g	500 cfu/g	ISO 16649-1 or 2	End of the manufacturing process	Improvements in production hygiene and improvements in selection and/or origin of raw materials
2.1.7 Mechanically separated meat (MSM) i	Aerobic colony count	5	2	5 × 10 5 cfu/g	5 × 10 6 cfu/g	[F4 EN ISO 4833-1]	End of the manufacturing process	Improvements in production hygiene and improvements in selection and/or origin of raw materials
	E. coli h	5	2	50 cfu/g	500 cfu/g	ISO 16649-1 or 2	End of the manufacturing process	Improvements in production hygiene and improvements in selection and/or origin of raw materials
2.1.8 Meat preparations	E. coli h	5	2	500 cfu/g or cm 2	5 000 cfu/g or cm 2	ISO 16649-1 or 2	End of the manufacturing process	Improvements in production hygiene and improvements in selection and/or origin of raw materials
[F7 2.1.9 Carcases of broilers	Campylobacter spp.	50 e	c = 20 From 1.1.2020 c = 15; From 1.1.2025 c = 10	1 000 cfu/g		EN ISO 10272-2	Carcases after chilling	Improvements in slaughter hygiene, review of process controls, of animals' origin and of the biosecurity measures in the farms of origin]

Textual Amendments

F2 Substituted by Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1495 of 23 August 2017 amending Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 as regards Campylobacter in broiler carcases (Text with EEA relevance).

F3 Inserted by Commission Regulation (EU) No 1086/2011 of 27 October 2011 amending Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Annex I to Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 as regards salmonella in fresh poultry meat (Text with EEA relevance).

F4 Substituted by Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/229 of 7 February 2019 amending Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs as regards certain methods, the food safety criterion for Listeria monocytogenes in sprouted seeds, and the process hygiene criterion and food safety criterion for unpasteurised fruit and vegetable juices (ready-to-eat) (Text with EEA relevance).

F5 Substituted by Commission Regulation (EU) No 217/2014 of 7 March 2014 amending Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 as regards Salmonella in pig carcases (Text with EEA relevance).

F6 Substituted by Commission Regulation (EU) No 1086/2011 of 27 October 2011 amending Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Annex I to Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 as regards salmonella in fresh poultry meat (Text with EEA relevance).

F7 Inserted by Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1495 of 23 August 2017 amending Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 as regards Campylobacter in broiler carcases (Text with EEA relevance).

Interpretation of the test results U.K.

The limits given refer to each sample unit tested, excluding testing of carcases where the limits refer to pooled samples.

The test results demonstrate the microbiological quality of the process tested.

Enterobacteriaceae and aerobic colony count in carcases of cattle, sheep, goats, horses and pigs:

• satisfactory, if the daily mean log is ≤ m,

• acceptable, if the daily mean log is between m and M,

• unsatisfactory, if the daily mean log is > M.

Salmonella in carcases:

• satisfactory, if the presence of Salmonella is detected in a maximum of c/n samples,

• unsatisfactory, if the presence of Salmonella is detected in more than c/n samples.

After each sampling session, the results of the last ten sampling sessions shall be assessed in order to obtain the n number of samples.

E. coli and aerobic colony count in minced meat, meat preparations and mechanically separated meat (MSM):

• satisfactory, if all the values observed are ≤ m,

• acceptable, if a maximum of c/n values are between m and M, and the rest of the values observed are ≤ m,

• unsatisfactory, if one or more of the values observed are > M or more than c/n values are between m and M.

[F7 Campylobacter spp. in poultry carcases of broilers:

• satisfactory, if a maximum of c/n values are > m,

• unsatisfactory, if more than c/n values are > m.] ]

Textual Amendments

F1 Substituted by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1441/2007 of 5 December 2007 amending Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs (Text with EEA relevance).