Overview
EN ISO 10273:2017 / ISO 10273:2017 - titled Microbiology of the food chain - Horizontal method for the detection of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica - is a CEN-endorsed international standard that specifies a laboratory method for detecting pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica associated with human disease. The 2017 edition supersedes the 2003 version and standardizes sampling, enrichment, plating and confirmation procedures for products intended for human consumption, animal feed and environmental samples from food production and handling areas.
Key topics and requirements
- Scope and applicability: Designed for food, feed and environmental samples in the food chain where Y. enterocolitica is a concern.
- Principle of the method: Combines direct plating and selective enrichment followed by selective agar isolation and confirmatory testing to distinguish pathogenic strains.
- Enrichment and media:
- Uses liquid enrichment steps (including peptone-based and selective ITC enrichments).
- Selective plating on CIN agar (cefsulodin–irgasan–novobiocin) is included; a chromogenic agar is provided as an optional medium.
- KOH treatment of enrichment broth prior to plating is specified (with plating without KOH as optional).
- Confirmation:
- Mandatory confirmation tests related to pathogenicity are included so laboratories can separate pathogenic from non‑pathogenic Y. enterocolitica.
- Biotyping procedures are provided as optional.
- Documentation and validation:
- Annexes include composition/preparation of media and reagents, method validation/performance characteristics (sensitivity, specificity, LOD, interlaboratory study), and an optional cold-enrichment procedure.
- Quality and reporting: The standard defines expression of results, test reporting and quality assurance requirements for reliable diagnostic output.
Applications and users
EN ISO 10273:2017 is intended for:
- Food microbiology laboratories performing routine safety testing
- Food manufacturers and processors conducting in-house monitoring and environmental testing
- Third‑party testing laboratories and contract analytical services
- Public health and regulatory laboratories investigating foodborne outbreaks
- Research groups studying Yersinia prevalence or method performance
Practical uses include raw and ready‑to‑eat meat testing, dairy and produce surveillance, environmental swabbing in processing plants, and verification of hygiene controls to reduce human disease risk.
Related standards
- Developed by ISO/TC 34 and CEN/TC 275 as a horizontal method within food microbiology standards.
- It complements other ISO/CEN horizontal methods for bacterial pathogens and general food microbiology quality systems (see national standards bodies or CEN/ISO catalog for specific linked standards).
Keywords: EN ISO 10273:2017, ISO 10273:2017, Yersinia enterocolitica detection, food microbiology, CIN agar, enrichment, KOH treatment, pathogenic Yersinia, food safety testing.