GOST 10444.15-94 PDF

Full title and description

GOST 10444.15-94 — "Продукты пищевые. Методы определения количества мезофильных аэробных и факультативно-анаэробных микроорганизмов" / "Food products. Methods for determination of quantity of mesophilic aerobes and facultative anaerobes". The standard specifies laboratory methods used to enumerate mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms (bacteria, yeasts and moulds) in food products.

Abstract

This interstate (GOST) standard establishes two principal enumeration techniques for food microbiology: cultivation by plating on solid (agar) nutrient media with subsequent colony counting, and the statistical most-probable-number (MPN) method. It sets general procedural steps, incubation conditions, calculation approaches and reporting units for expressing results (CFU/g or CFU/ml and MPN).

General information

• Status: Adopted as an interstate standard and used in the CIS; listed as in-force for the Russian system (applicable in multiple CIS countries), with some national replacements in specific countries.
• Publication date: Accepted by the Interstate Council on 21 October 1994; date of introduction (start of mandatory application) 1 January 1996.
• Publisher: Adopted by the Interstate Council for Standardization, Metrology and Certification (Межгосударственный совет по стандартизации, метрологии и сертификации); submitted/registered via Gosstandart (Committee for Standardization of the Russian Federation).
• ICS / categories: 07.100.30 — Food microbiology (microbiological methods for food products).
• Edition / version: Original designation - 10444.15-94 (issued 1994; introduced 1996).
• Number of pages: 7 pages (concise method standard).

Scope

Applies to a wide range of food products and establishes standardized laboratory procedures for determining the total number of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms. The methods are intended for routine microbiological control, quality assurance and regulatory testing where enumeration of viable mesophilic microorganisms (including bacteria, yeasts and moulds) is required. The standard references related sampling and preparatory procedures and is used alongside complementary standards for specific organism groups and sample types.

Key topics and requirements

• Enumeration by plating on agarized nutrient media (pour or spread plate techniques), incubation times and temperatures appropriate for mesophilic organisms.
• Enumeration by most probable number (MPN) method for samples where plating is impractical or counts are expected to be low or clumped.
• Requirements for preparation and dilution of test samples, inoculum volumes, replicates and calculation of results (CFU per unit mass or volume and MPN statistical tables).
• Guidance on selection of culture media, conditions for detecting yeasts and moulds, and basic confirmatory observations (colony morphology, microscopy, simple biochemical reactions when applicable).
• Reporting conventions, expression of results, and references to sampling standards and complementary microbiological methods.

Typical use and users

Laboratories performing routine food microbiology testing (manufacturing QA/QC labs, contract testing labs), regulatory and inspection bodies, product developers and research groups in the food industry. The standard is used to establish baseline total viable counts for product release, shelf-life studies and outbreak investigations where mesophilic counts are relevant.

Related standards

Related or complementary documents include other parts of the GOST 10444 series (methods for yeasts and moulds, lactic acid bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, etc.), sampling standards for microbiological analysis, and later/adopted international/national standards on general microbiological methods (for example ISO/GOST equivalents). In some national systems this GOST has been superseded or supplemented by later national standards (for example Ukraine replaced it with DSTU 8446:2015 for domestic use).

Keywords

food microbiology; mesophilic aerobes; facultative anaerobes; colony count; plate method; most probable number (MPN); CFU; agar media; GOST 10444 series.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: GOST 10444.15-94 is an interstate standard that defines laboratory methods for determining counts of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms in food products.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers two principal enumeration techniques — plating on agar media (colony counts) and the most-probable-number (MPN) statistical method — with requirements for sample dilution, incubation, calculation and reporting of results.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Food industry QA/QC laboratories, regulatory and inspection agencies, contract testing laboratories and researchers involved in food safety and shelf‑life testing use the standard as part of routine microbiological control.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The standard was accepted by the Interstate Council in October 1994 and introduced 1 January 1996; it remains an established method standard within the GOST system and is applied in several CIS countries. However, some countries have adopted their own national replacements (for example, Ukraine superseded it with DSTU 8446:2015). Consult your national standards registry for current national applicability.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — it is one part of the GOST 10444 family of standards that cover multiple microbiological methods for food products (different parts address specific organism groups and test methods).

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Mesophilic aerobes, facultative anaerobes, plate count, MPN, CFU, food microbiology, agar media, GOST 10444.