Food and Feed Items that are of current Interest to the FDA for Microbiological Methods Validation

Bacteriological Analytical Manual

Appendix 4
Food and Feed Items that are of current Interest to the FDA for Microbiological Methods Validation*

Contact: Thomas Hammack

Revision History: Created April 2012.

1. Food
   1. Milk and Milk Products
      • Whole Milk
      • Cheese^a:
        1. Soft Cheese
        2. Hard Cheese
        3. Cheese Products
   2. Produce:
      • Leafy Greens (includes Bagged Ready-to-Eat Fresh Cut Vegetables): Basil, Cilantro, Green Onions, Loose-Leaf Lettuce, Spinach, and Parsley
      • Melons (e.g. Cantaloupes)
      • Papaya
      • Tomatoes
      • Cucumber
      • Peppers: Sweet Pepper, Hot pepper
      • Sprouts (e.g. Alfalfa, Clover)
   3. Seafood:
      • Finfish: Fresh, Frozen, Smoked, Salted
      • Crustaceans: Shrimp, Crab & Crab Meat, Lobster, Crayfish
      • Shellfish: Oyster, Clam, Scallop, Mussel
   4. Shell Eggs
   5. Spices
      • Pepper: White, Black, Red
      • Cloves, Oregano, Cinnamon
   6. Water
      • Processing water (e.g. Sprout Irrigation Water)
      • Bottled Water
2. Feed
   1. Pet Food/Treats
   2. Animal Feeds: Poultry, Cattle, Swine, Horse, Medicated Feed, Feed for Minor Species, Feed Ingredients

* This list is not complete and may change over time with the emergence of previously unrecognized pathogens or of recognized pathogens in unusual food/feed matrices. There is no requirement that any or all of the above foods/feeds be included in methods validation studies, but methods validated with the above foods and feeds will most likely have greater application in the analysis of products that currently are of safety concern.

^a Cheeses made from unpasteurized milk are of particular interest.