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

2.2. Milk and dairy products U.K.

a n = number of units comprising the sample; c = number of sample units giving values between m and M.
b For point 2.2.7 m=M.
c The most recent edition of the standard shall be used.
d The criterion does not apply to products intended for further processing in the food industry.
e E. coli is used here as an indicator for the level of hygiene.
f For cheeses which are not able to support the growth of E. coli, the E. coli count is usually the highest at the beginning of the ripening period, and for cheeses which are able to support the growth of E. coli, it is normally at the end of the ripening period.
g Excluding cheeses where the manufacturer can demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the competent authorities, that the product does not pose a risk of staphylococcal enterotoxins.
h Only ice creams containing milk ingredients.
Food category	Micro-organisms	Sampling plana		Limitsb		Analytical reference methodc	Stage where the criterion applies	Action in case of unsatisfactory results
		n	c	m	M
2.2.1. Pasteurised milk and other pasteurised liquid dairy productsd	Enterobacteriaceae	5	2	<1 cfu/ml	5 cfu/ml	ISO 21528-1	End of the manufacturing process	Check on the efficiency of heat- treatment and prevention of recontamination as well as the quality of raw materials
2.2.2. Cheeses made from milk or whey that has undergone heat treatment	E.coli e	5	2	100 cfu/g	1 000 cfu/g	ISO 16649- 1 or 2	At the time during the manufacturing process when the E. coli count is expected to be highestf	Improvements in production hygiene and selection of raw materials
2.2.3. Cheeses made from raw milk	Coagulase-positive staphylococci	5	2	104 cfu/g	105 cfu/g	EN/ISO 6888-2	At the time during the manufacturing process when the number of staphylococci is expected to be highest	Improvements in production hygiene and selection of raw materials. If values >105 cfu/g are detected, the cheese batch has to be tested for staphylococcal enterotoxins.
2.2.4. Cheeses made from milk that has undergone a lower heat treatment than pasteurisationg and ripened cheeses made from milk or whey that has undergone pasteurisation or a stronger heat treatmentg	Coagulase-positive staphylococci	5	2	100 cfu/g	1 000 cfu/g	EN/ISO 6888-1 or 2
2.2.5. Unripened soft cheeses (fresh cheeses) made from milk or whey that has undergone pasteurisation or a stronger heat treatmentg	Coagulase-positive staphylococci	5	2	10 cfu/g	100 cfu/g	EN/ISO 6888-1 or 2	End of the manufacturing process	Improvements in production hygiene. If values > 105 cfu/g are detected, the cheese batch has to be tested for staphylococcal enterotoxins.
2.2.6. Butter and cream made from raw milk or milk that has undergone a lower heat treatment than pasteurisation	E.coli e	5	2	10 cfu/g	100 cfu/g	ISO 16649- 1 or 2	End of the manufacturing process	Improvements in production hygiene and selection of raw materials
2.2.7. Milk powder and whey powderd	Enterobacteriaceae	5	0	10 cfu/g		ISO 21528- 1	End of the manufacturing process	Check on the efficiency of heat treatment and prevention of recontamination
	Coagulase-positive staphylococci	5	2	10 cfu/g	100 cfu/g	EN/ISO 6888-1 or 2	End of the manufacturing process	Improvements in production hygiene. If values > 105 cfu/g are detected, the batch has to be tested for staphylococcal enterotoxins.
2.2.8. Ice creamh and frozen dairy desserts	Enterobacteriaceae	5	2	10 cfu/g	100 cfu/g	ISO 21528- 2	End of the manufacturing process	Improvements in production hygiene
2.2.9. Dried infant formulae and dried dietary foods for special medical purposes intended for infants below six months of age	Enterobacteriaceae	10	0	Absence in 10 g		ISO 21528- 1	End of the manufacturing process	Improvements in production hygiene to minimise contamination. If Enterobacteriaceae are detected in any of the sample units, the batch has to be tested for E. sakazakii and Salmonella

Interpretation of the test results U.K.

The limits given refer to each sample unit tested.

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

Enterobacteriaceae in dried infant formulae and dried dietary foods for special medical purposes intended for infants below six months of age:

• satisfactory, if all the values observed indicate the absence of the bacterium,

• unsatisfactory, if the presence of the bacterium is detected in any of the sample units

E. coli, enterobacteriaceae (other food categories) and coagulase-positive staphylococci:

• 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.