Los criterios microbiológicos: principios para su establecimiento y aplicación en la seguridad alimentaria

Legislation on food safety has led to the standardi­sation of food production which, together with existing quality certifications, aim to increase the level for protection of pu­blic health. The need is recognized for the agri-food industry to have tools to harmonize their production and to adequately manage their quality systems in order to increase consumers’ confidence. The implementation of microbiological criteria is focused on facilitating this harmonization by enabling differen­tiation of defective lots and acting as control tools at the indus­trial level. Therefore, knowledge on the principles, components and factors influencing the efficiency of microbiological criteria may be helpful to better understand the consequences of their application. In the present paper the main principles, methodo­logies and applications of microbiological criteria in foods are addressed for their implementation as part of management quality systems in agri-food industries. In addition, potential li­mitations and impacts of microbiological criteria on food safety are discussed.