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Assessment of microbiologic requirements for food in conformity with Decree No. 294/1997 Coll., issued by the Ministry of Health, is carried out on the basis of microbiologic analyses performed in laboratories or directly in the place of inspection, i.e. in the production premises or stores.

It is determined in the place of inspection whether there are evident visible changes in food caused by microbial activities, or even undesirable growth of microorganisms (such as the growth of moulds visible with the naked eye, or rottenness).

Microbiologic laboratories in the CAFIA inspectorates (i.e. in Prague, Tábor, Ústí nad Labem, Hradec Králové, Brno and Olomouc) perform determinations of bacterial causative agents of food diseases (such as Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp. etc.) and causative agents of food perishing (e.g. moulds, fungi, etc.). The criterion for evaluation of results obtained are "the maximum limits for the number of microorganisms" and "the tolerated values set for the individual types, groups or subgroups of foodstuffs" that are specified in the Ministry of Health Decree No. 294/1997 Coll.

In checking the microbiologic requirements, CAFIA focused especially on products included in the list of food groups with epidemiological hazards that has been created as part of an agreement concluded between the Ministries of Health and Agriculture, such as cold meals, confectioneries, ice creams, etc.

The microbiologic analyses were carried out in the total of 8,755 food samples. Of which 1,978 samples were found non-complying, this represents 22.5% of the total number of samples. The highest numbers of non-complying samples were detected in cold meals (489), confectioneries (449), fresh vegetables (321), fresh fruit (182), milk products (111), meat and meat products (102). In fresh vegetables and fruit, some undesirable microbiologic changes were detected in the places of inspection, without performing laboratory analyses. They were, for example, mouldy or rotten fruits.

Survey of analyses performed in laboratories - non-complying results

(results of inspections, both target and planned)