News
07.06.2019 - Foods
New Recommendations for Guideline and Warning Values of the DGHM
We inform you about the changes to the DGHM recommendations that were decided at the last meeting in March 2019 by the DGHM working group "Microbiological Guidelines and Warning Values for Food".
The DGHM recommendations are published at www.dghm-richt-warnwerte.de and are available for a fee. The new drafts are freely accessible at www.dghm.org.
The last draft status for the following product groups was adopted without change as the new recommendation:
- Guidelines and warning values for cooked products, dry soups, dry stews, dry sauces that must be boiled up before consumption
- Guidelines and warning values for raw, dry pasta without filling
- Guidelines and warning values for chocolates, light and dark, with inclusions (e.g., nuts, flakes, dried fruits, cookies)
New drafts exist for:
- Fresh, ready-to-eat prepared, sliced packaged and unpackaged fruits, as well as fruit mixes
- Sprouts and shoots for sale to consumers
- Ripened brine cheeses, e.g., feta, for sale to consumers
- Mozzarella made from cow's milk for sale to consumers
The new drafts correspond with one exception to the previous recommendations for the product groups. Only for "Fresh, ready-to-eat prepared, sliced packaged and unpackaged fruits, as well as fruit mixes" was presumptive Bacillus cereus added as a new parameter with a guideline value of 500 CFU/g and a warning value of 1,000 CFU/g.
We would like to explicitly point out this change, as these germs regularly occur due to the ubiquitous distribution in our environment and the particular stability of Bacillus cereus spores in food and in these products. Therefore, we recommend considering this parameter for this product group in future self-monitoring. Comments can also be submitted to the BLL e.V. or through our institute. These can be incorporated into the discussion at the upcoming DGHM meeting. This generally applies to all other DGHM recommendations and drafts as well.
The following existing DGHM recommendations are now undergoing revision and will be discussed at the next meetings:
- Ice cream for sale to consumers (2013)
- Dried fruits including raisins and fruit powders (2013)
- Cooked frozen ready meals (2013)
- Sushi
General note on DGHM recommendations:
DGHM recommendations are not legally binding but, according to the self-understanding of the DGHM as a scientific society, correspond to the nature of objectified expert opinions.
Further information about the importance and application of DGHM recommendations can also be found at www.dghm.org.
A conference on "Microbiological Guidelines and Warning Values of the DGHM in Science and Practice" will take place in Lemgo on July 9, 2019. Registration and further information can be accessed at www.dghm.org .
Paul Andrei (Managing Director of BAV Institut) is a member of the DGHM working group and will give a presentation at the conference on the legal reporting obligations for microbiological self-monitoring.
For questions, our customer advisors are happy to assist you.