Cooked Pasta Testing for hotels and restaurants
The table below describes a microbiological testing program for cooked pasta served by hotels, restaurants, catering companies, and other food-service establishments.
It is intended for products such as cooked spaghetti, macaroni, penne, noodles, lasagna sheets, ravioli, and other cooked pasta dishes, particularly those that are prepared in advance and subsequently held, chilled, reheated, or served.
The main purpose is to assess general microbiological quality, cooking and handling hygiene, and contamination by important foodborne pathogens. It has to be noted that the limits mentioned may differ case to case.
| Food/Test Category | Microbial Parameters | Analysis Method | Limits |
| Cooked Pasta Testing | Standard Plate Count | ISO 4833-1:2013 / AOAC 990.12 | ≤10⁵ CFU/g |
| Salmonella | ISO 6579-1:2017 / AOAC 2003.09 | Absent in 25 g | |
| E.coli | ISO 16649-2:2001 / AOAC 991.14 | <10 CFU/g | |
| Listeria | ISO 11290-1:2017 / AOAC 2004.06 | Absent in 25 g | |
| Coagulative Staphylococcus | ISO 6888-1:2021 / AOAC 975.55 | <10² CFU/g |
Explanation of each test
| Microbial Parameter | What it checks | Method | Proposed Criterion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Plate Count / Total Aerobic Count | Overall microbial load | ISO 4833-1:2013 | ≤10⁵ CFU/g |
| Salmonella spp. | Important foodborne pathogen | ISO 6579-1:2017 | Not detected in specified test portion |
| E. coli | Hygiene/fecal contamination indicator | ISO 16649-2:2001 | <10 CFU/g |
| Listeria monocytogenes | Foodborne pathogen | ISO 11290-1:2017 | Not detected in specified test portion |
| Coagulase-positive Staphylococci | Hygiene/food-handler contamination indicator | ISO 6888-1:2021 | <10² CFU/g |