The Spanish Association for Standardisation (UNE), the national member of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), organised from 2 to 6 June at its headquarters the meeting of the committees of CEN (European Committee for Standardisation) and ISO, responsible for developing European and international standards on food microbiologys. In this way, Madrid becomes the global epicentre this week for ISO methods in these fields, highlighting Spain’s leadership and strong involvement in this area.
Throughout the week, Madrid hosted the plenary meeting of the European (CEN/TC 463) and international (ISO/TC 34/SC9) Standardisation Technical Committees, responsible for developing globally recognised standards for reference methods for the microbiological analysis of food.
More than 120 experts from approximately 30 countries participated in the event, including representatives from public entities, governments, international organisations, standardisation bodies, private companies, research centres, laboratories and universities; highlighting the active participation of representatives of the European Commission and its reference laboratories.
The session was sponsored by the entities bioMérieux, Thermofisher, Merck, Neogen, Danone, GSC and RPD, and it was supported by the main representatives of the Spanish food microbiology sector, headed by the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) of the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and the 2030 Agenda, and the national official control laboratories.
Both the international standardisation committee ISO/TC 34/SC 9 "Microbiology" and the European standardisation committee CEN/TC 463 “Microbiology of the food chain” are responsible for developing the horizontal method standards used globally in the field of microbiological analysis across the entire food chain—from primary production to food products and animal feed, including the food production and handling environment.
In its current work plan, of note is the recent publication of the revision of standard ISO 7218 "Microbiology of the food chain. General requirements and guidelines for microbiological analysis", which is a key document to ensure the safety and quality of food and feed. This standard is essential for food manufacturers, regulatory agencies and control laboratories, as it helps safeguard public health and compliance with international food safety regulations.
Spain has actively contributed to the work of both committees since their inception, bringing in national sector expertise and experts who participate in 20 working groups within these committees. Notably, Spain has played a key role in the development of the ISO 16140 series of standards for method validation.
The meeting's agenda included a review and update of the work plans of both committees, covering ongoing projects, as well as potential future initiatives.
