Microbiological analysis

Microbiological testings of food determine the presence of pathogenic or potentially pathogenic microorganisms and/or their toxins, which can negatively impact on human and animal health.

The provisions of the Act on food hygiene and microbiological criteria for foodstuffs (Official Gazette of the Republic of Croatia “Narodne novine” no. 81/2013) and The EU Regulative no. 2073/2005 prescribe the microbiological criteria for food in order to ensure “safe food”, based on the HACCP system and other hygiene control measures.

The most food-borne agents that cause diseases are:

• Salmonella sp.

• Listeria monocytogenes

• Escherichia coli

• Staphylococcus aureus

• Bacillus cereus

Spoilage microorganisms:

• aerobic mesophilic bacteria

• yeasts and molds

• aerobic spore-forming bacteria

Histamine is a compound from the group of biogenous amines that generates via the decarboxylation of the amino acid histidine. It is being created in fish, especially pelagic ones, which is exposed to room temperature for a longer period of time and is considered to be an indicator for the spoilage of fish due to improper storage. The limit value for histamine is prescribed by the EU Regulative no. 2073/2005 from November 15th 2005 about the microbiological criteria for food, primarily for fish and fish products from the species Scombridae, Clupeidae, Engraulidae, Coryfenidae, Pomatomidae and Scombresosidae.

Histamine is determined in our laboratory with the HPLC technique, a method which is being prescribed by the EU Regulative no. 2073/2005.