Spoilage and Indicator Organisms
- Aerobic/Anaerobic Plate Counts (APC)
- An enumeration of the total aerobic/anaerobic bacterial population of a sample; this test useful in measuring the freshness of a product or to help validate sanitation procedures.
- Bacillus cereus
- Commonly found in the environment and can be isolated from various processed and raw foods. Its presence in foods; however, is not a meaningful health hazard unless it is able to grow.
- Campylobacter species
- Commonly found in the intestinal tracts of warm-blooded animals (birds and mammals). This genus has been associated with many types of illnesses in humans; its presence in food represents a potential hazard to human health.
- Clostridium perfringens
- A ubiquitous organism in nature, this genus can be found as a normal component of decaying vegetation, marine sediment, the intestinal tract vertebrates and insects, as well as the soil. Antibodies to α-toxin are common among the human population; this has led to the conclusion that most people have experienced food poisoning due to C. perfringens.
- Coagulase Positive Staphylococcus aureus
- A ubiquitous organism in nature, humans and animals are the primary sources. Food handlers are usually the main source of contamination in food poisoning outbreaks; equipment and environmental surfaces can also be sources of contamination with S. aureus. Ingesting enterotoxins produced by some strains of S. aureus can result in human infection.
- Coliforms
- Although not normally pathogenic, coliforms are often referred to as indicator organisms; their presence in a sample can indicate that conditions exist for pathogenic organisms to be present.
- E. coli
- The presence of E. coli in a sample indicates fecal contamination.
- Enterobacteriaceae
- This family of bacteria (including organisms from several genera) is commonly used as indicators of food quality and food safety.
- Yeast and mold counts
- Yeasts and molds cause deterioration and decomposition of foods.