DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN METHODS FOR ASSESSING THE QUALITY AND SAFETY OF RAW MATERIALS AND FOODSTUFFS IN ACCORDANCE WITH EU STANDARDS AND REGULATIONS

Abstract

The results of development of methods of bacteriological research in milk and dairy products are given. Due to reasons related to sampling, methodology and uneven distribution of microorganisms, microbiological research alone can never guarantee the safety of the food under study and the safety of food can be guaranteed by applying a structured prevention approach. Mandatory microbiological criteria should be applied only to those products and / or to those points in the food chain where other, more effective ones cannot be used, and in cases where the microbiological criterion is expected to increase the level of protection offered to the consumer. The micro-organisms that are part of the components of the criterion must be generally accepted as such – pathogens or indicator organisms – that are relevant to certain foodstuffs and technological processes. The data obtained using advanced methods for the detection of listeria monocytogenes, salmonella and coagulase-positive staphylococci in milk and dairy products were stable and reliable, therefore, these indicators can be used to assess the safety of milk and dairy products. It was found that the method is economical, easy to perform, and its results give specific quality indicators for the red color of isolated typical Salmonella colonies.The developed method is offered as a qualitative way to improve the horizontal method of detection of coagulase-positive staphylococci in milk and dairy products, along with other methods of determining their safety (determination of total microorganisms, determination of Escherichia coli bacteria, listeria, salmonella because the results have reliable indicators of the color of typical colonies of coagulase-positive staphylococci.In addition, it should be noted that the methods are economical, easy to perform, and its results give specific quality indicators.