Microbiological Control of Surfaces and Air

Food contact surfaces are particularly important as a potential source of contamination. Their hygiene (cleaning and disinfection) is the most important daily infection control measure.

Microbiological analysis of surfaces and air in food production areas can be used to assess the effectiveness of hygiene procedures and therefore the safe and hygienic preparation of food, based on the guidance of the HACCP principles.

The presence of pathogenic micro-organisms in food indicates that they may have been introduced into the food handling environment either through human contact or from raw materials, but may not have been eliminated by cleaning and disinfection procedures. In addition, food residues remaining on surfaces during production may provide an opportunity for microbial growth, which could be a source of recontamination for the product. Monitoring of proper disinfection of work surfaces, equipment and personnel is demonstrated by the absence of microbial flora through cotton swab sampling.

In the Microbiological Laboratory of BIOCHEMIKI Labs the following analyses can be carried out on surfaces and air:

* Total Mesophilic Flora (TMF)
*Enterobacteriaceae
*Total coliforms
Intestinal enterococci
*Staphylococcus pectase (+)
*Salmonella spp
*Listeria spp
*Listeria monocytogenes (Detection – Count)
E. Coli
Yeasts – Fungi
*Accredited tests on surfaces from food production and processing areas according to ISO 17025, No. 689 ESYD

BIOCHEMIKI Labs can carry out the sampling based on a program, which can be developed in cooperation with the food business and based on its needs, in the context of the implementation of the HACCP System.

In addition, it has an accredited sampling method using cotton swabs for the detection and determination of microbiological parameters on surface samples from food production and processing areas.

Instructions for surface sampling with swab

For more information please contact us.