Microbiology of the food chain — Detection, isolation and characterization of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) — Part 1: Horizontal method for the detection and isolation of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC)

This standard describes the detection and isolation of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). The procedure includes the detection by Real Time PCR of the major virulence genes of STEC, stx1 and stx2 (Reference [2]) in enrichment cultures. Isolation of STEC from the enrichment culture is attempted if one or both stx genes are detected in the screening.
This document is applicable to
— products intended for human consumption,
— products intended for animal feeding,
— environmental samples in the area of food and feed production, handling, and
— samples from the primary production stage.