ISO 10560-1993 PDF

Full title and description

ISO 10560:1993 — Milk and milk products — Detection of Listeria monocytogenes. This international standard specifies a cultural method for detecting Listeria monocytogenes in milk and dairy products based on enrichment in selective liquid media, isolation, presumptive identification and confirmation of suspect colonies.

Abstract

The method described is a classical microbiological procedure in three main stages: (1) enrichment of samples in a selective liquid medium to promote growth of Listeria spp., (2) isolation of colonies onto selective agar and presumptive identification, and (3) confirmation of L. monocytogenes by biochemical or serological tests. The standard was issued as a short technical method (12 pages) and later had a technical corrigendum.

General information

• Status: Withdrawn (stage: withdrawal of International Standard [95.99]).
• Publication date: 1993-07 (Edition 1).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 07.100.30 — Milk and milk products; microbiology.
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (1993); amended by ISO 10560:1993/Cor 1:1994 (technical corrigendum).
• Number of pages: 12.

Scope

ISO 10560:1993 was intended to provide a validated cultural procedure for detecting the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in milk and milk products for use in food safety testing, quality control and regulatory surveillance. It focused on presence/absence detection rather than quantitative enumeration. Laboratories performing official testing of dairy samples could apply the method when it was in force.

Key topics and requirements

• Primary and secondary enrichment in selective liquid media to recover stressed or low-level Listeria cells.
• Isolation onto selective agar media and selection of typical colonies for further testing.
• Presumptive identification steps (morphology, catalase, motility) followed by confirmation tests to verify L. monocytogenes.
• Performance characteristics consistent with contemporary culture-based detection limits used for food microbiology at the time.
• Compatibility with national equivalents and corrigenda that clarified procedural details.

Typical use and users

Primary users were public health and food-control laboratories, dairy industry quality-control teams, and testing laboratories responsible for regulatory compliance. The method supported routine screening of milk, cheese and other dairy matrices for the presence of L. monocytogenes prior to adoption of later horizontal ISO methods.

Related standards

ISO 10560:1993 has been withdrawn and the horizontal ISO 11290 series (in particular ISO 11290‑1 for detection and ISO 11290‑2 for enumeration) became the internationally accepted horizontal methods for detection and enumeration of Listeria in foods and environmental samples; ISO 11290‑1 (latest consolidated edition) is the current reference for detection methods. National and regional equivalents/identical standards (historic) include various adaptations such as AS/NZS and BS versions that aligned with ISO 10560 when it was active.

Keywords

Listeria monocytogenes; milk; milk products; detection; enrichment; isolation; confirmation; food microbiology; ISO 10560; microbiological method.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 10560:1993 is an international standard that specified a culture-based method for detecting Listeria monocytogenes in milk and milk products.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers a three-stage laboratory procedure—enrichment in selective liquid medium, isolation onto selective agar and presumptive identification, and confirmation of L. monocytogenes. It was aimed at presence/absence detection in dairy matrices.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Food and public-health laboratories, dairy industry QC laboratories and regulatory testing bodies used the method when it was current; today those users generally follow the horizontal ISO 11290 series or recognized regional adaptations.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: ISO 10560:1993 has been withdrawn. The horizontal ISO 11290 series (notably ISO 11290‑1 for detection) is the modern, current reference method for detection of Listeria in food and environmental samples. Users should consult ISO 11290‑1 and its amendments for current requirements.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: ISO 10560:1993 was a single-method standard specifically for milk and milk products; it is not a numbered part of a multi-part series, but its subject matter is now covered within the broader ISO 11290 series for Listeria detection and enumeration.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Listeria monocytogenes, milk, dairy, detection, enrichment, isolation, confirmation, food microbiology, ISO 10560.