Diksha Implements
Application Area

Microbiological
Food Analysis

Detecting indicator bacteria in food and water samples to support quality systems, verify hygiene processes, and demonstrate compliance with EU and FSSAI microbiological criteria — rapidly and cost-effectively.

EU & ISO Validated Results in Hours HACCP Support No Lab Required Self-Disposable Kit
Microbiological food analysis using MBS Easy Test vials in a quality control setting
EU & ISO Approved Validated method for food

Understanding
Microbiological Food Analysis

Microbiological food analysis involves establishing the number and/or presence of specific microbial populations — known as "indicator organisms" — in food or water samples.

These analyses are essential for supporting quality systems such as HACCP and for the verification of hygiene processes throughout the food production chain — from raw material intake to finished product release.

The European Commission's regulations on microbiological criteria for food have established the primary need for hygienic safety of food and water. With MBS-HACCP & WATER Easy Test, food businesses across India can meet these criteria rapidly, cost-effectively, and without a dedicated laboratory.

  • Detects indicator bacteria that signal contamination or process failures
  • Supports mandatory HACCP verification at Critical Control Points
  • Compliant with EU Commission microbiological criteria for food
  • ISO 16140:2003 validated — accepted for food safety audits
  • Results in hours, not 24–72 hrs of conventional culture
  • No laboratory infrastructure or specialist training required
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European Commission
Microbiological Criteria for Food

EU Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 and its amendments establish legally binding microbiological limits for food products. These regulations require food businesses to routinely test for specific indicator organisms and pathogens — and demonstrate that their processes keep microbial counts within safe limits.

MBS Easy Test kits are approved by EU regulation authorities and validated to ISO 16140:2003, making them directly applicable to regulatory compliance programmes in India's food export sector and EU-facing food businesses.

EC No 2073/2005

Core EU regulation establishing microbiological criteria — food safety criteria (pathogens) and process hygiene criteria (indicators).

ISO 16140:2003

International validation standard for alternative microbiological methods — the benchmark MBS kits are validated against.

HACCP Verification

Codex Alimentarius and national FSSAI requirements mandate microbiological testing as part of HACCP verification procedures.

FSSAI Compliance

India's Food Safety & Standards Authority requires microbiological testing across food categories — MBS kits provide rapid, audit-ready results.

Key Microbial Indicators Detected by MBS

These "indicator organisms" signal contamination, poor hygiene, or pathogen risk — and are the core targets of routine microbiological food analysis.

Coliforms & E. coli

Faecal contamination indicators. E. coli is a direct marker of sewage contamination and a mandatory test under EC No 2073/2005.

High Significance

Enterobacteriaceae

Broad family indicator used as a process hygiene criterion — particularly relevant for ready-to-eat food and dairy products.

High Significance

Salmonella spp.

Major food safety criterion under EU regulations — mandatory absence testing in poultry, eggs, meat, spices and RTE foods.

High Significance

Listeria spp.

Critical pathogen in RTE and chilled foods — zero tolerance for L. monocytogenes in many food categories under EU law.

High Significance

Staphylococcus aureus

Skin-associated toxin producer — critical in dairy, cream-based, deli and ready-to-eat foods handled by food workers.

Medium Significance

Yeast & Mould

Spoilage indicators critical in bakery, dairy, confectionery and fermented food products — affect shelf life and safety.

Medium Significance

Enterococcus faecalis

Faecal indicator with particular relevance in dairy, fermented foods and processed meat microbiological safety assessments.

Medium Significance

Testing Across Every Food Category

MBS Easy Test kits cover all major food categories requiring routine microbiological verification under HACCP and regulatory frameworks.

Meat & Poultry

Monitor TVC, Salmonella, Listeria and Staphylococcus aureus at CCPs throughout slaughter, cutting, packaging and cold chain stages.

TVCSalmonellaListeriaS. aureus

Dairy & Cheese

Control coliforms, E. coli, Listeria and yeast/mould across raw milk receipt, pasteurisation, ripening and finished product release.

ColiformsE. coliListeriaYeast/Mould

Eggs & Egg Products

Mandatory Salmonella absence testing under EU criteria for shell eggs and liquid egg products — key export compliance requirement.

SalmonellaTVCEnterobacteriaceae

Seafood & Aquaculture

TVC, coliforms, and targeted pathogen testing for fresh fish, shellfish, shrimp and processed seafood products for domestic and export markets.

TVCColiformsE. coliVibrio (coming)

Fresh Fruits & Vegetables

Detect coliforms, E. coli and Salmonella on fresh produce surfaces — essential for export certification and retail supply chain compliance.

ColiformsE. coliSalmonella

Grains, Pulses & Cereals

Monitor TVC, yeast/mould and Salmonella in stored grains, processed flours and pulse commodities for both domestic and export markets.

TVCYeast/MouldSalmonella

Animal Feed & Pet Food

EU-regulated Salmonella testing in animal feed, compound feeds and pet food products — critical for both domestic and export compliance.

SalmonellaEnterobacteriaceaeTVC

Ready-to-Eat Salads & Sprouts

High-risk RTE category requiring Listeria, E. coli O157, Salmonella and TVC monitoring — frequent cause of food-borne illness outbreaks.

ListeriaE. coliSalmonellaTVC

Bakery & Confectionery

Yeast, mould and TVC monitoring in bread, cakes, pastry and confectionery — key for shelf life validation and hygiene compliance.

TVCYeast/MouldS. aureus

Ready-to-Eat & Deli Foods

Highest-risk category under EU law — zero tolerance for Listeria monocytogenes and strict limits on Enterobacteriaceae and TVC.

ListeriaTVCEnterobacteriaceae

Frozen & Chilled Foods

End-product microbiological verification of frozen meals, chilled ready meals and convenience foods before retail distribution.

TVCColiformsListeria

Sauces, Condiments & Dressings

TVC, yeast/mould and pathogen presence testing in pH-adjusted and acid-preserved food products for stability and safety validation.

TVCYeast/MouldColiforms

Ground Spices

Chilli, turmeric, coriander, cumin and pepper routinely carry high microbial loads — TVC, Salmonella and yeast/mould testing mandatory for export.

TVCSalmonellaYeast/Mould

Dried Herbs

Basil, oregano, thyme and other culinary herbs face EU microbiological limits — often contaminated with Salmonella in the field.

SalmonellaTVCE. coli

Spice Blends & Masala

Mixed spice products compound contamination risk from multiple ingredients — batch testing against TVC, Salmonella and Enterobacteriaceae is essential.

TVCSalmonellaEnterobacteriaceae

Herbal Teas & Extracts

Botanical ingredients for infusions and extracts require TVC, yeast/mould and Salmonella testing under food and pharma regulations.

TVCYeast/MouldSalmonella

Alcoholic Beverages

TVC, yeast and mould monitoring in wine, beer, spirits and fermented beverages — critical for process stability, quality and export compliance.

TVCYeastMould

Fruit Juices & Soft Drinks

Coliforms, TVC and yeast testing across juice production lines — particularly at filling, pasteurisation and packaging stages.

ColiformsTVCYeast

Tea, Coffee & Hot Beverages

Ready-to-drink tea and coffee products face similar microbiological criteria to other RTD beverages — rapid testing supports production line release.

TVCColiformsYeast/Mould

Infant Formula & Baby Food

Most stringent microbiological criteria of any food category — zero tolerance for Cronobacter sakazakii, Salmonella and strict TVC limits.

Cronobacter (coming)SalmonellaTVC

How MBS Easy Test Transforms Food Testing

Four simple steps replace a multi-day, multi-equipment conventional microbiological workflow for food samples.

1

Collect Your Food Sample

Take your food, surface swab, or water sample. No homogenisation, no dilution series, no media preparation — the MBS vial handles everything internally.

2

Inoculate the MBS Vial

Add the required sample volume or weight directly into the ready-to-use vial according to the kit instructions. Seal securely — no pipetting accuracy issues.

3

Incubate & Wait

Place the sealed vial in a portable thermostat. Incubation time is a fraction of conventional culture times — enabling same-day or next-day results for production line decisions.

4

Read, Decide & Document

Observe the colour change. Compare against HACCP limits or acceptance criteria. Retain the sealed vial as a physical evidence record for food safety audits and regulatory inspections.

Faster Results

Hours instead of 24–72 hrs — accelerate production line decisions.

Lower Cost per Test

No agar, no autoclave, no media. Dramatically lower testing overhead.

Audit-Ready Evidence

Sealed vial serves as physical record for HACCP and regulatory audits.

On-Site Testing

Test at the factory, farm gate, or distribution centre — no lab trip needed.

EU & ISO Compliant

Results accepted by EU regulation bodies and food safety auditors globally.

Meeting Regulatory
Microbiological Criteria

Food businesses in India face a dual compliance landscape — FSSAI microbiological standards for the domestic market, and EU / Codex Alimentarius criteria for export. MBS Easy Test bridges both.

Our kits are validated against ISO 16140:2003 — the international standard for alternative microbiological methods — and approved by EU regulatory authorities, giving food businesses confidence that their testing meets internationally accepted criteria.

HACCP Verification Testing

Fulfil mandatory CCP verification requirements with audit-ready, rapid microbiological data.

EU Export Compliance

Meet EC No 2073/2005 food safety and process hygiene criteria for Indian food products targeting EU markets.

FSSAI Domestic Standards

Support FSSAI Food Safety Management System (FSMS) implementation and audit readiness across India.

Third-Party Audit Support

Sealed vials act as tamper-evident physical records — invaluable during BRC, FSSC 22000, and SQF audits.

ISO
16140:2003
Validated Method
EU
Regulation
Approved
10+
Microbial Targets
Available
0
Lab Infrastructure
Required

Frequently Asked Questions

Can't find your answer? Contact our team directly.

Indicator bacteria — or "indicator organisms" — are specific microbial populations whose presence or count in a food sample signals contamination, poor hygiene, or the potential presence of pathogens. Examples include Total Viable Count, coliforms, and Enterobacteriaceae. They are called "indicators" because they indicate something about the safety or quality of the food, even if they are not always harmful themselves.

HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) systems require food businesses to verify that their Critical Control Points are effective. Microbiological testing provides the quantitative evidence needed to demonstrate that CCPs are controlling microbial hazards within acceptable limits — without it, a HACCP system cannot be validated or verified during regulatory or third-party audits.

Yes — that is one of the key advantages of MBS Easy Test. The ready-to-use disposable vial requires only a small portable thermostat for incubation. No agar media, no centrifuge, no autoclave, and no specialist training are required. This makes it suitable for on-site use at food factories, farm gates, catering facilities, and distribution centres.

MBS kits are available for Total Viable Count, Coliforms & E. coli, Enterobacteriaceae, Salmonella spp., Listeria spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Yeast & Mould, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and various ATCC reference strains. Vials for Vibrio and Cronobacter sakazakii detection are coming soon.

MBS kits are validated against ISO 16140:2003 — the international validation standard for alternative microbiological methods — and are approved by EU regulation authorities. This makes their results directly applicable to demonstrating compliance with European Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs.

Diksha Implements is the authorised distributor of MBS products in India. Contact our team via the contact form, email at dikshaipl@gmail.com, or call +91-11-43021569. We supply kits across India and can arrange product demonstrations, technical support, and custom pricing for bulk orders.

Download Technical Resources

Access peer-reviewed publications, the MBS product brochure and summarizing table for procurement approvals and technical evaluations.

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Ready to Upgrade Your Food Testing Process?

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