ISO 21872-1:2017

Overview

ISO 21872-1:2017 - Microbiology of the food chain - Horizontal method for the determination of Vibrio spp. - Part 1 - specifies a horizontal detection method for potentially enteropathogenic Vibrio species, including Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio vulnificus. The standard is applicable to food and feed products and to environmental samples in food production and handling areas. It includes both traditional culture-based workflows and optional molecular identification methods for major food‑borne Vibrio spp.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope and applicability: Designed for products intended for human consumption, animal feed and environmental monitoring around food production and handling.
• Method principle: A staged approach including primary and secondary selective enrichment, isolation on selective solid media, and confirmation by biochemical and/or molecular methods.
• Culture media and reagents: Specifies enrichment medium (alkaline saline peptone water, ASPW), selective isolation media (e.g., TCBS agar), saline nutrient agar and reagents for oxidase and biochemical assays (L‑lysine decarboxylase, arginine dihydrolase, indole, β‑galactosidase).
• Molecular options: Incorporates optional PCR and real‑time PCR procedures for species and virulence gene detection (see Annexes C and D).
• Quality/performance: Includes performance characteristics, interlaboratory study results and limits of detection (Annex E and Clause 11).
• Safety: Emphasizes that testing (particularly for toxigenic V. cholerae) must be conducted in suitably equipped laboratories under experienced supervision and with careful disposal of contaminated materials.

Practical applications and users

ISO 21872-1:2017 is used by:

• Food testing laboratories and microbiology analysts validating presence/absence of Vibrio spp.
• Public health and regulatory agencies conducting surveillance of seafood and other foodborne Vibrio risks.
• Seafood processors, aquaculture and food safety teams implementing incoming raw material and environmental monitoring programs.
• Research and reference laboratories applying molecular confirmation for virulence genes and species identification.

Benefits:

• Provides a harmonized, validated framework for detection of major foodborne Vibrio species.
• Supports compliance, risk assessment and outbreak investigation in the food chain.

Related standards

Normative references and related ISO documents cited include:

• ISO 6887‑1:2017 and ISO 6887‑3 (sample preparation)
• ISO 7218 (general requirements for microbiological examinations)
• ISO 11133 (culture media production and testing)
• ISO 22118 (molecular methods guidance)

Keywords: ISO 21872-1:2017, Vibrio spp., Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio vulnificus, horizontal method, food safety, TCBS, ASPW, PCR, microbiology of the food chain.