WAYS TO DETERMINE COLIFORM BACTERIA IN FOOD – A MINI REVIEW

Abstract

The presence/absence of coliform bacteria in food is a hygienic-sanitary indicator that provides valuable
information about the hygienic conditions in which the food was processed. The determination of coliform bacteria in
food using the classical method (multiple-tube method) is a laborious work, and the results take a long time. In recent
years, modern techniques for the determination of coliform bacteria have emerged, which include enzyme tests, ELISA
techniques, PCR techniques, and spectrophotometric techniques, with much faster results.
In this paper, the use of ion mobility spectrometry for the determination of o-nitrophenol (ONP), a volatile marker
generated by the E. coli species, is briefly described, discussing both the strengths and weaknesses of this method.