Assessment Criteria

This page provides summary information on the microbiological criteria for test results for all carcasses, minced meat, mechanically-separated meat (MSM), meat preparations and meat products.   The corrective actions required when the criteria are not met differ for each type of criterion and can be found by clicking here. The information provided on this page is duplicated in other parts of the site.  The information has been collated onto this page in response to a number of specific requests by industry.

The original and now amended Regulations establish two types of microbiological criteria and require that food business operators take corrective action when these criteria are not met.  These two types are:

Food safety criteria which should be used to assess the safety of a product or batch of foodstuffs.

and

Process hygiene criteria which should be used to ensure the production processes are operating properly.

The corrective actions required differ for each type of criterion

The food safety criteria are absence of Salmonella in:

• 5 x 25g samples per sampling session of minced meat and meat preparations intended to be eaten raw

• 5 x 25g samples per sampling session of minced meat and meat preparations made from poultry meat intended to be eaten cooked; All species of poultry including duck. On  01.01.10 this criterion changed from 5 x 10g to 5 x 25g. The change is to reflect the reduction in Salmonella expected to be achieved by the National Control Plans.  

• 5 x 10g samples per sampling session of minced meat and meat preparations made from other species than poultry intended to be eaten cooked e.g. minced meat for bolognaise sauce or shepherds pie, sausages, burgers.  All species of red meat including game.

• 5 x 10g samples per sampling session of mechanically separated meat (MSM)

• 5 x 25g samples per sampling session of meat products intended to be eaten raw (excluding products where the manufacturing process or the composition of the product will eliminate the Salmonella risk such as salami); e.g. air dried smoked duck, partially fermented sausages

• 5 x 25g samples per sampling session of meat products made from poultry meat intended to be eaten cooked. e.g. turkey bacon  On  01.01.10 this criterion changed from 5 x 10g to 5 x 25g. The change is to reflect the reduction in Salmonella expected to be achieved by the National Control Plans.  

• 5 x 25g of fresh poultry meat. In slaughterhouses the neck skin samples taken for process control purposes shall be used. In cutting plants, samples should include meat portions with and without skin and selected on a risk basis.

The process criteria for minced meat and mechanically separated meat are:

• 5 samples per sampling session

• Aerobic Plate Count (APC) and E. coli (EC) specified limits per gram

• APC all 5 samples must be less than 5 x 10⁶ cfu/g and 3 samples must be less than 5 x 10 ⁵ cfu/g.

• EC all 5 samples must be less than 500 cfu/g and 3 samples must be less than 50 cfu/g.

The process criteria for meat preparations are:

• 5 samples per sampling session

• E. coli (EC) specified limits per gram

• EC all 5 samples must be less than 5000 cfu/g and 3 samples must be less than 500 cfu/g

The process criteria for sampling of carcasses are:

• For carcasses of pigs, cattle, sheep, goat and horse 5 samples should be collected per sampling session. 1 sample is from 1 carcass.

• For poultry, 5 samples should be collected per sampling session.  1 sample is the neck skins from 3 carcasses.

• Aerobic Plate Count (APC) and Enterobacteriaceae (ENT) should be below a specified mean log level of 5 samples from pigs, cattle, sheep, goat and horse carcasses.

• Salmonella* (Sal) isolations should be below a specified number of positives in 50 samples from broiler, turkey, pig, cattle, sheep, goat and horse carcasses.

• *Please note that poultry carcasses neck skins should only be tested for Salmonella.

• Red meat carcasses should be tested for Salmonella by sponge swabbing (only) and for APC and ENT by either sponge swabbing or excision.

Excision criteria for cattle, sheep, goat and horse carcasses

Excision criteria for pig carcasses

Excision criteria for broiler and turkey carcasses

Swabbing criteria for cattle, sheep, goat and horse carcasses

Swabbing criteria for pig carcasses