BS EN 15788:2021

What is BS EN 15788 about?  

BS EN 15788 specifies general rules for the enumeration of enterococci (E. faecium) in feeding stuffs (additives, premixtures, and compound feed excluding mineral feeds) that contain enterococci as a single microorganism component or in a mixture with other microorganisms.  

NOTE1: BS EN 15788 is not applicable to mineral feeds which are defined as complementary feeding stuff composed mainly of minerals and containing at least 40 % crude ash. There are different categories of feed samples: 

• Additives containing about 1010 colony forming units (CFU)/g 
• Premixtures containing 1011 CFU/kg 
• Compound feeds, meals, or pellets which contain about 109 CFU/kg 

Who is BS EN 15788 for? 

BS EN 15788 on detection of Enterococcus (E. Faecium) used as a feed additive is applicable to: 

• Manufacturers of animal feed products  
• Food and safety administering regulatory authorities for veterinary products 
• Ingredient testing laboratories 
• Animal nutrition researchers and scientists 

Why should you use BS EN 15788?  

The animal food industry relies on probiotics that are used as beneficial microbes in the production of animal feed. In this regard, Enterococcus’ play a vital role in maintaining the gut health of the livestock and improving overall growth in animals, posing as an attractive option for use as probiotic supplements. 

The detection and enumeration of Enterococcus spp. through methods suggested by BS EN 15788, will aid in the optimum growth, survival, health and safety of livestock, especially as the use of antibiotic options are being discarded. As a result, the right selection of Bacillus probiotic strains can have a positive impact on animal production. In addition, adopting standardized methods can enable proper labelling of animal feeding products that improve credibility and consumer confidence in your products. 

What’s changed since the last update? 

BS EN 15788:2021 supersedes EN 15788:2009. BS EN 15788:2021 

 includes some technical changes with respect to EN 15788:2009. These include: 

• Supplement of phosphate-buffered saline with Tween® 80 
• Addition of the option to use Tween® 80 supplemented phosphate-buffered saline the 
• preparation of the initial suspension as well as a diluent for serial dilutions 
• Addition of Slanetz and Bartley agar as the selective detection medium 
• Addition of the option to use a spiral plater for plating 
• Preparation of initial suspensions generally conducted with tempered TPBs 
• Addition of the pour plate method as an alternative cultivation technique