EFFCA Industry Guidance for the quality, safety, and labelling of food cultures
Food cultures (FC) are safe live bacteria, yeasts, or filamentous fungi (moulds) used as ingredients in foods. Fermented foods are produced by the interaction and growth of FC with raw materials, leading to characteristic changes in the product itself; for example, FC will convert milk into yoghurt.
FC can also be used in foods without such a clear characteristic change in the product matrix. In these cases, fermentation still takes place but is less visible and may be restricted to the surface of the product; for example, FC are added to smoked salmon to inhibit the growth of Listeria monocytogenes.
This guidance is in line with the main principle in the General Food Law Regulation (178/2002, Art. 17(1)) that the responsibility for ensuring food safety lies with the Food Business Operator (FBO), unless it cannot be duly managed at that level.
The scope and objective of the guidance is to document best practices of the global FC industry on:
• Safety assessment of FC in the intended application.
• Quality parameters for FC preparations, including viable cell counts and/or activity and purity.
• Good labelling practices in Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Consumer (B2C) commerce of FC preparations and fermented foods.
• Documentation to inform authorities in inspections or audits of FC manufacturers/suppliers
