Can products with active cultures be exempted from testing the total number of colonies?

In recent years, the probiotic market has developed rapidly, and more and more
products have added live bacteria such as probiotics.
So do products with active cultures need to test the total number of colonies?

The total number of colonies refers to the total number of bacterial colonies grown per gram (per milliliter) of
test sample under certain conditions, such as oxygen conditions, nutritional conditions, pH value, culture temperature and time.
The determination of the total number of colonies is used to determine the degree of bacterial contamination and hygiene quality of food, which reflects whether the food meets the hygiene requirements during the production process, so as to make an appropriate hygienic evaluation
of the tested sample.

The total number of colonies reflects the quality of food hygiene to a certain extent
.
However, the total number of colonies does not represent the actual total number of bacteria, nor can it distinguish the types of bacteria in them, and as probiotics are used in more and more products, the results of the total number of colonies in such products include the number of viable bacteria and do not represent the true picture of
the total colony indicator.

So does the total number of colonies of the product with live bacteria need to be tested?

Candy On March 5, 2018, the "Reply of the Food Department of the National Health and Family Planning Commission on the Total Number of Candy Colonies Containing Lactic Acid Bacteria" clearly pointed out: "At present, the active bacteria added to candy are mainly lactic acid bacteria, and there are no other active bacteria used in the production
of candy products.
The indicator of the total number of colonies in the National Food Safety Standard Candy (GB 17399-2016) is not applicable to candies
with lactic acid bacteria (live bacteria).
”

Milk powder in the "National Food Safety Standard Milk Powder" (GB 19644-2010) stipulates: "The total number of colonies does not apply to products
with added active bacteria (aerobic and famenative anaerobic probiotics).
In April 2020, in the draft revised standard, the requirement of "if live bacteria are added, the number of viable bacteria in the product should be ≥106CFU/g" in the annotated part of the total number of colonies
.

Beverages In June 2022, the newly released National Food Safety Standard for Beverages (GB 7101-2022) clarifies that from December 30, 2022, "the label of products with added cultures should indicate live bacteria (unsterilized) type or non-viable bacteria (sterilized) type", and "the total number of colonies indicator is not applicable to live bacteria (unsterilized) type beverages with aerobic and facultative anaerobic strains", and it is clear that "the number of lactic acid bacteria in live bacteria (unsterilized) type beverage products with lactic acid bacteria added should be ≥ 106CFU/g (mL), And indicate the lactic acid bacteria content
on the product label.
”

Pastries, bread In November 2022, the China Bakery and Confectionery Industry Association issued a notice on soliciting comments on GB 7099 "National Food Safety Standard - Pastries and Bread" (Draft for Comments), and the annotation to the total number of colonies in the draft intends to add "not applicable to products with added active bacteria (aerobic and facultative anaerobics)"
.
At the same time, it is recommended that "the label of the product with the added active strain should indicate the name of the added strain and the number of viable bacteria in the final product", on the grounds that probiotics are used in more and more products, and the added bacteria are in various forms, "in order to clearly consume and accept public supervision
.
" ”

In conclusion, as probiotics are used in more and more products, the test results of the total number of colonies in such products include the number of viable bacteria and do not represent the true picture of the total number of
colonies indicator.
Although only the above-mentioned product standards (candy, milk powder, beverages, pastries and bread) have requirements for the total number of exempt colonies of added active strains, most product standards do not have this requirement, but it can be seen that as the forms of strains added to products become more and more diverse, standardizing the identification of probiotics and the total number of test-free colonies of products with added live strains may become a trend in the revision of
product standards in the future.

(Source: Food Labeling Circle)

China Food News(2023.
01.
09.
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(Responsible editor: Yang Xiaojing)