BS EN 15789:2021

What is BS EN 15789 about?  

BS EN 15789 specifies general rules for the enumeration of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in feeding stuff (additives, premixtures, and compound feeds excluding mineral feeds) that contain Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a single microorganism component or in a mixture with other microorganisms. The methodology was compiled first during the EU project SMT4-CT98-2235 “Methods for the official control of probiotics used as feed additives” 

Note :

BS EN 15789 is not applicable to mineral feeds, which are defined as complementary feeding stuffs 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 about 1011 CFU/kg 
• Compound feeds, meals, or pellets which contain about 109 CFU/kg 

The method has not been validated for other yeast species (e.g., Kluyveromyces marxianus). This method is not applicable for the detection of any ubiquitous or pathogenic yeasts in food and animal feeding stuffs. 

Who is BS EN 15789 for? 

BS EN 15789 on Saccharomyces cerevisiae 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 15789?  

The animal food industry relies on probiotics that are used as beneficial microbes in the production of animal feed. In this regard, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a type of yeast, plays a vital role in improving feed efficiency and overall animal health and productivity. As a result, Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an attractive option as a feed additive, especially as animal nutritionists move away from the use of antibiotics.  

The detection and enumeration of Saccharomyces cerevisiae through methods suggested by BS EN 15786, 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 Saccharomyces cerevisiae probiotic strains can have a positive impact on animal production.  

In addition, adopting standardized methods to detect Saccharomyces cerevisiae can enable proper labelling of animal feeding products that improves credibility and consumer confidence in your products. 

What’s changed since the last update?  

BS EN 15789:2021 supersedes BS EN 15789:2009. BS EN 15789:2021 includes some technical changes with respect to BS EN 15789:2009. These include: 

• Supplement of phosphate-buffered saline with Tween® 80 
• Removal of the chromogenic culture medium for the enumeration of Saccharomyces cerevisiae 
• Addition of the option to use spread plates as well as a spiral plater for enumeration 
• Preparation of initial suspensions generally conducted with tempered TPBs 
• Unification of the homogenization time for the preparation of initial suspensions to one minute for all feed matrices