ISO 6888-1-2021 amd1-2023 PDF

Full title and description

ISO 6888-1:2021/Amd 1:2023 — Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the enumeration of coagulase-positive staphylococci (Staphylococcus aureus and other species) — Part 1: Method using Baird‑Parker agar medium. This document is Amendment 1 to ISO 6888-1:2021 and provides small but important technical and editorial updates to the 2021 second edition of the standard.

Abstract

This amendment updates ISO 6888-1:2021, a horizontal colony-count method for enumeration of coagulase‑positive staphylococci on Baird‑Parker agar. The changes include the addition of a normative reference to ISO 19036:2019 (estimation of measurement uncertainty for quantitative microbiological determinations), revisions to reporting and confirmation clauses (including measurement-uncertainty wording), and corrections/clarifications to control-strain and confirmation-test information in the informative annex (tables). The amendment is concise (two pages) and is intended to be applied together with the 2021 standard.

General information

• Status: Published (Amendment to ISO 6888-1:2021).
• Publication date: September 2023 (Edition 2, Amendment 1 — 2023-09).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 07.100.30 — Food microbiology.
• Edition / version: Second edition (ISO 6888-1:2021) with Amendment 1 (2023).
• Number of pages: 2 (Amendment document).

Scope

This document (the amendment) applies to and modifies ISO 6888-1:2021, which specifies a horizontal colony-count technique for the enumeration of coagulase‑positive staphylococci in food and related matrices using Baird‑Parker agar, including confirmation procedures for presumptive colonies after incubation at 34 °C to 38 °C. ISO 6888-1 is given equivalent status to ISO 6888-2 (alternate media/method) within the horizontal method family for these organisms.

Key topics and requirements

• Addition of a normative reference to ISO 19036:2019 (Estimation of measurement uncertainty for quantitative microbiological determinations) to support reporting of uncertainty where required or requested.
• Revision of Clause 12 reporting items to explicitly reference the method (ISO 6888-1:2021) and to include, when necessary or requested, an estimate of measurement uncertainty in accordance with ISO 19036:2019.
• Corrections/clarifications in Annex B (confirmation tests and control strains), including adjustments to incubation times/temperatures, control‑strain listings and certain table entries to correct typographical or ordering errors.
• The amendment is editorial and clarificatory in nature — it does not introduce a new counting principle but ensures consistent reporting and confirmation guidance aligned with current uncertainty guidance.

Typical use and users

Laboratories performing food-microbiology testing, quality‑control analysts in food and feed production, microbiology method developers, regulatory and inspection bodies, and accreditation assessors will use ISO 6888-1 together with this amendment. The amendment is applied by users of ISO 6888-1:2021 when preparing reports, performing confirmation tests and when an estimate of measurement uncertainty is required or requested.

Related standards

Relevant related documents include ISO 6888-1:2021 (the base standard amended here), ISO 6888-2:2021 (alternate colony-count method / different medium), ISO 6888-3:2003 (additional media/confirmation approaches), and ISO 19036:2019 (estimation of measurement uncertainty for quantitative microbiological determinations). National and regional consolidated texts (e.g., EN/ÖNORM consolidations) may publish combined editions that incorporate the amendment.

Keywords

Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-positive staphylococci, Baird‑Parker agar, colony-count technique, food microbiology, enumeration, confirmation tests, measurement uncertainty, ISO 19036.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: It is Amendment 1 (2023) to ISO 6888-1:2021, which updates and clarifies aspects of the horizontal colony-count method for enumeration of coagulase-positive staphylococci on Baird‑Parker agar. The amendment is a short published document intended to be used together with ISO 6888-1:2021.

Q: What does it cover?

A: The base standard covers a colony-count (enumeration) method for coagulase‑positive staphylococci in food-related samples using Baird‑Parker agar, including incubation, colony selection and confirmation procedures; the amendment adds a normative reference to measurement‑uncertainty guidance and corrects/clarifies certain reporting and confirmation-table entries.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Accredited and non‑accredited food‑microbiology laboratories, industry QC teams, regulators, method validators and standards implementers who enumerate Staphylococcus aureus and related coagulase‑positive species.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The amendment (ISO 6888-1:2021/Amd 1:2023) is published and current as of September 2023 and applies to the second edition of ISO 6888-1 (2021). It does not supersede the 2021 edition but modifies it; users should apply the 2021 text together with this 2023 amendment.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — ISO 6888 is a multipart horizontal-method series for coagulase‑positive staphylococci. Part 1 (this document) uses Baird‑Parker agar; Part 2 provides an alternative method and Part 3 contains other related media/approaches. The amendment only applies to Part 1.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-positive, Baird‑Parker agar, enumeration, colony count, food microbiology, measurement uncertainty, confirmation tests.