ISO 19344 is officially titled:
“Milk and milk products — Starter cultures, probiotics and fermented products — Quantification of lactic acid bacteria by flow cytometry”
This standard specifies a flow cytometry-based method to quantify live (viable) and dead lactic acid bacteria (LAB) cells in dairy starter cultures, probiotics, and fermented milk products.
It includes:
This method is applicable to both industrial fermentation processes and quality control in final products
Traditional plate-counting methods for LAB are time-consuming, less sensitive, and often fail to account for viable but non-culturable (VBNC) cells. ISO 19344 addresses these issues by introducing a modern, flow cytometry-based approach that is:
As demand rises for functional foods, probiotics, and precision fermentation, ISO 19344 plays a vital role in ensuring product efficacy and labeling accuracy.
Implementing ISO 19344 enables dairy and probiotic manufacturers to:
Crucial for product effectiveness, especially in probiotic claims.
Flow cytometry yields result in minutes to hours, unlike traditional methods that take days.
Maintain microbial quality across production cycles.
Support innovation in starter cultures and functional dairy formulations.
Recognized by international regulatory bodies and food testing authorities.
Adopting ISO 19344 through GMC’s consulting and testing support offers businesses a strategic edge:
Meet probiotic CFU (colony-forming unit) claims confidently with validated results.
Integrate flow cytometry into routine QC for faster and more reliable data.
Detect microbial issues early in the production cycle.
Align with food safety authorities’ expectations in EU, US, and Asia-Pacific regions.
Empower your product development team with accurate microbial profiling tools.
Deliver scientifically backed assurance of product quality and health claims.
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