Cooked rice testing for hotels and restaurants
The table below describes a microbiological testing program for cooked rice and rice-based dishes served by hotels, restaurants, catering companies, and other food-service establishments.
Cooked rice is particularly important from a food-safety perspective because Bacillus cereus spores can survive cooking. If cooked rice is subsequently cooled slowly or held at unsuitable temperatures, surviving spores can germinate and multiply.
It has to be noted that the limits mentioned may have variations case to case.
| Food/Test Category | Microbial Parameters | Analysis Method | Limits |
| Cooked Rice Testing | Standard Plate Count | AOAC 990.12/ISO 4833-1:2013 | ≤10⁵ CFU/g |
| Salmonella | AOAC 2003.09/ISO 6579-1:2017 | Absent in 25 g | |
| E.Coli | AOAC 991.14/ISO 16649-2:2001 | <10 CFU/g | |
| Listeria monocytogenes | ISO 11290-1:2017 AOAC 975.55/ISO 6888-1:2021 | <10² CFU/g | |
| Coagulative Staphylococcus | AOAC 975.55/ISO 6888-1:2021 | <10² CFU/g | |
| Bacillus Cereus (rice dishes only | AOAC 980.31/ISO 7932:2004 | <10³ CFU/g |
Explanation of each test
| Microbial Parameter | What it checks | Relevant Method | Proposed Criterion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Plate Count / Total Aerobic Count | Overall microbial quality | 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 | Product-specific / not detected where applicable |
| Coagulase-positive Staphylococci | Hygiene/handling contamination indicator | ISO 6888-1:2021 | <10² CFU/g |
| Presumptive Bacillus cereus | Important spore-forming organism associated with cooked rice | ISO 7932:2004 | <10³ CFU/g |