Overview
EN ISO 10272-2:2017 - "Microbiology of the food chain - Horizontal method for detection and enumeration of Campylobacter spp. - Part 2: Colony-count technique" - is a CEN-endorsed ISO standard that specifies a horizontal laboratory method for the enumeration (colony-count) of Campylobacter species. It applies to a broad range of sample types including:
- products intended for human consumption,
- products intended for animal feeding,
- environmental samples from food/feed production and handling areas,
- primary production samples (e.g., animal faeces, dust, swabs).
The standard is intended for use in properly equipped laboratories under skilled microbiological control and includes safety warnings for handling potentially infectious material.
Key Topics and Requirements
- Principle and scope: A horizontal colony-count technique for Campylobacter spp., forming part of the ISO 10272 series.
- Sampling and test portion preparation: Guidance on sampling and preparation of initial suspensions and serial dilutions.
- Culture media and reagents: Lists required media and quality-performance checks (see Annex B).
- Procedure steps: Inoculation, incubation, enumeration of characteristic colonies and colony selection for confirmation.
- Confirmation tests: Morphology and motility checks, oxidase activity, study of aerobic growth at 25 °C (replacing some older confirmation steps), and additional optional species identification tests (e.g., catalase, hippurate hydrolysis, indoxyl acetate).
- Technical updates from previous edition: Inclusion of primary production samples, plating of serial dilutions in single (not duplicate) to align with ISO 7218, and revised confirmation criteria.
- Performance characteristics and QA: Interlaboratory study data, repeatability and reproducibility limits, and performance validation guidance (Annex C).
- Reporting: Standardized expression of results and test report content.
Practical Applications
- Routine food safety testing in food microbiology laboratories for monitoring Campylobacter contamination levels in foods (meat, dairy, produce) and feed.
- Environmental surveillance of production and processing environments (surfaces, air, dust, swabs).
- On-farm and primary production monitoring (animal faeces, farm environment) to support risk assessment and control measures.
- Regulatory compliance testing, method validation, and internal laboratory quality assurance.
Who should use this standard
- Food and feed microbiology laboratories
- Public health laboratories and epidemiology units
- Food producers, processors, and quality assurance teams
- Regulatory bodies and testing laboratories performing Campylobacter enumeration
Related standards
- Other parts of the ISO 10272 series (detection and related methods) and horizontal food microbiology standards such as ISO 7218 (general laboratory practice) are relevant for full implementation and quality alignment.
Keywords: Campylobacter enumeration, colony-count technique, food microbiology, ISO 10272-2:2017, horizontal method, detection, food safety testing, laboratory method.