MICROBIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF FOODS IN FRANCE - STANDARDIZED METHODS AND VALIDATED METHODS

From a historic situation of total absence of official methods for the microbiological control of foods and the progressive development of t he standardization of analysis methods, the French authorities respons ible for controlling the hygiene of food products have today entrusted AFNOR with the task of working out analysis methods to be used within the framework of official controls, explicitly making reference, in t he statutory texts, to the standardized methods. So-called 'routine' s tandardized methods and commercial methods validated by AFNOR are also used for routine controls. The French system of reference is consiste nt with the international and European standardized system of referenc e methods and the MicroVal project will give a European dimension to t he certification, by AFNOR, of the commercial methods. Copyright (C) 1 996 Elsevier Science Ltd.