Milk; enumeration of colony-forming units of psychotrophic micro-organisms; colony-count technique at 6,5 <Grad>C

This document specifies a laboratory technique for the enumeration of cold-tolerant microorganisms in milk by counting colonies formed at a temperature of 6.5 degrees Celsius. The method provides a standardized procedure for incubating samples under controlled conditions to allow the development of colonies from psychrotrophic bacteria, which are of significant concern in the quality and shelf-life of dairy products. It details the preparation of culture media, the handling of sample aliquots, and the specific incubation parameters required to ensure reproducibility across different testing facilities. The approach focuses on measuring the microbial load that can proliferate at low temperatures, offering a metric for assessing hygiene and processing efficiency within the dairy industry. By adhering to the described protocols, laboratories can obtain comparable data regarding the presence of these specific organisms. The technique is applicable to liquid milk and related dairy formulations, serving as a reference for routine quality control assessments and regulatory compliance checks involving microbial safety standards in food production environments.