Protection of human health: food of animal origin, specific hygiene rules

PURPOSE: to lay down rules on the microbiological sampling of eggs and of meat from bovine, porcine animals, poultry intended for Finland and Sweden.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Commission Regulation

CONTENT: The microbiological sampling of eggs and meat from bovine and porcine animals, and poultry, intended for Finland and Sweden, shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions laid down in the Annex to this implementing Regulation.

Microbiological testing for salmonella of the samples taken in accordance with Articles 1 to 4 shall be carried out in accordance with the most recent edition of:

(a) standard EN/ISO 6579 (15) (EN/ISO 6579); or (b) method No 71 described by the Nordic Committee on Food Analysis (NMKL) (method No 71).

Where the results of the microbiological testing are contested between Member States, the most recent edition of EN/ISO 6579 shall be regarded as the reference method.

2. However, for samples of meat from bovine and porcine animals and of meat from poultry, the following analytical methods, which shall be validated by the use of meat samples in the validation studies, may be used for the microbiological testing for salmonella:

methods that have been validated against the most recent editions of EN/ISO 6579 or of method No 71 and if a proprietary method, certified by a third party in accordance with the protocol set out in standard EN/ISO 16140 (EN/ISO 16140) or other internationally accepted protocols.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 04/11/2005.

DATE OF APPLICATION: 01/01/2006.