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Microbiological criteria for foodstuffs

Guidance for Food Businesses

See our guidance on Microbiological Criteria for food businesses.  

Legislation

EU legislation

Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 (OJ L 338, p1, 22/12/2005) of 15 November 2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs

Corrected by:

Amended by:

  • Commission Regulation (EC) No 1441/2007 (OJ L 322, p12, 07/12/2007) of 5 December 2007
  • Commission Regulation (EC) No 365/2010 (OJ L 107, p9, 29/04/2010) of 28th April 2010 as regards Enterobacteriaceae in pasteurised milk and other pasteurised liquid dairy products and Listeria monocytogenes in food grade salt
  • Commission Regulation (EU) No 1086/2011 (OJ L 281, p7, 28/10/2011) of 27 October 2011 amending Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 and Annex I to Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 as regards salmonella in fresh poultry meat
  • Commission Regulation (EU) No 209/2013 (OJ L 69, p19, 12/03/2013) of March 2013 amending Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 of 15 November 2005 as regards microbiological criteria for sprouts and the sampling rules for fresh poultry meat
  • Commission Regulation (EU) No 1019/2013 (OJ L 282, p46, 24/10/2013) of 23 October 2013 amending Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 as regards histamine in fishery products
  • Commission Regulation (EU) No 217/2014 (OJ L 69, p93, 08/03/2014) of 7 March 2014 amending Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 as regards Salmonella in pig carcases
  • Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/2285 of 8 December 2015 amending Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down specific rules for the organisation of official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption as regards certain requirements for live bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates and marine gastropods and Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs 
  • Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1495 (OJ L 218, 24.8.2017, p. 1–6) of 23 August 2017 amending Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 as regards Campylobacter in broiler carcases
  • Consolidated version Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 (as at 8th March 2020)
  • Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/229 (OJ L 37, 8.2.2019, p. 106–110) of 7 February 2019 amending Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs as regards certain methods, the food safety criterion for Listeria monocytogenes in sprouted seeds, and the process hygiene criterion and food safety criterion for unpasteurised fruit and vegetable juices (ready-to-eat)

National legislation

European Union (Microbiological Criteria for Foodstuffs) Regulations 2012 (S.I. No 474 of 2012)

Amended by: 

  • European Union (Microbiological Criteria for Foodstuffs) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No 301 of 2013)
  • European Union (Microbiological Criteria for Foodstuffs) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (S.I. No. 15 of 2014) 

For food businesses supervised by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM), the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SPFA) and local authorities

European Communities (Food and Feed Hygiene) Regulations 2009 (S.I. No. 432 of 2009) 

 Amended by:

  • European Communities (Food and Feed Hygiene) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (S.I. No. 312 of 2010)
  • European Communities (Food and Feed Hygiene) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.I. No. 164 of 2012)
  • European Communities (Food and Feed Hygiene) (Amendment) (No 2) Regulations 2012 (S.I. No 362 of 2012)

S.I. 474 of 2012 applies to all food business operators involved in the processing, manufacturing, handling and distribution of food, including retailers and caterers with the exception of those food businesses engaged in activities which are subject to the European Communities (Food and Feed Hygiene) Regulations 2009 (S.I. No. 432 of 2009), only to the extent that the food business engages in those activities.