Journal of Microbial & Biochemical Technology

Production of external reference materials in food microbiology

Joint Event on 4^th World Congress and Expo on Applied Microbiology & 2^nd International Conference on Food Microbiology

November 29-December 01, 2017 Madrid, Spain

Abdelkader Boubetra, Sabrina Hellali, Elvire Messineo, Romain Le Neve and Anne Tirard

BIPEA, France

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Microb Biochem Technol

Abstract:

BIPEA organizes regular proficiency testing schemes (PTS) in many analytical domains, including microbiology in food. In order to help laboratories with their regulatory requirements issues, BIPEA developed a production of external reference materials (ERM) for microbiology in food. These samples should allow laboratories to check the trueness of their results at any time, outside the regular P-tests. For that purpose, BIPEA produced stable and homogeneous samples of meat contaminated with Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes, at levels between 102 to 104 colony forming unity per gram (CFU/g). To check the production, controls were performed by analysing some samples all along the production process at the beginning of the study and at regular intervals during a 6 month period. The homogeneity was checked by calculating coefficients of variation, which were inferior to 30% for all the analytical parameters. The stability was characterized by comparing means of three samples to the mean obtained at the beginning of the study. The samples produced were thus considered as being sufficiently homogeneous and stable to meet the requirements of ERM: the results of enumeration of the different micro-organisms present in the minced meat after 6 months of storage at (-24±6) °C showed a good stability, with a maximum deviation inferior to 0.5 log (CFU/g). Recent Publications 1. ISO 16140-2:2016 - Microbiology of the food chain -- Method validation -- Part 2: Protocol for the validation of alternative (proprietary) methods against a reference method. 2. ISO 5725-1:1994 - Accuracy (trueness and precision) of measurement methods and results -- Part 1: General principles and definitions. 3. ISO 5725-2:1994 - Accuracy (trueness and precision) of measurement methods and results -- Part 2: Basic method for the determination of repeatability and reproducibility of a standard measurement method. 4. ISO 5725-6:1994 - Accuracy (trueness and precision) of measurement methods and results -- Part 6: Use in practice of accuracy values. 5. ISO/IEC 17025:2005 - General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.

Biography :

Abdelkader Boubetra has held various management positions at the private testing laboratory. He has his expertise in microbial stress, analytical field and interlaboratory comparisons. Today, he is Leading BIPEA a recognized provider of proficiency testing programs and he is an expert at the court of appeals in Paris and the IAEA. He is also Vice President of the AFNOR Certification Technical Bureau for the Microbiology of Water.