Methods for Recovering Microorganisms from Solid Surfaces Used in the Food Industry: A Review of the Literature

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Rached Ismaïl²  Florence Aviat²  Valérie Michel¹  Isabelle Le Bayon³  Perrine Gay-Perret¹  Magdalena Kutnik³ 

[1] ACTALIA, Produits laitiers, La Roche-sur-Foron, F-74801, France; E-Mails:;LUNAM Université, Oniris, UMR1014 SECALIM, Nantes, F-44307, France; E-Mails:;FCBA, Bordeaux, F-33028, France; E-Mails:

关键词: wood;    packaging;    food contact;    microorganisms;    recovery methods;    contamination;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph10116169

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Various types of surfaces are used today in the food industry, such as plastic, stainless steel, glass, and wood. These surfaces are subject to contamination by microorganisms responsible for the cross-contamination of food by contact with working surfaces. The HACCP-based processes are now widely used for the control of microbial hazards to prevent food safety issues. This preventive approach has resulted in the use of microbiological analyses of surfaces as one of the tools to control the hygiene of products. A method of recovering microorganisms from different solid surfaces is necessary as a means of health prevention. No regulation exists for surface microbial contamination, but food companies tend to establish technical specifications to add value to their products and limit contamination risks. The aim of this review is to present the most frequently used methods: swabbing, friction or scrubbing, printing, rinsing or immersion, sonication and scraping or grinding and describe their advantages and drawbacks. The choice of the recovery method has to be suitable for the type and size of the surface tested for microbiological analysis. Today, quick and cheap methods have to be standardized and especially easy to perform in the field.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2013 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.