Guidance for Industry 

Q4B Evaluation and Recommendation 

of Pharmacopoeial Texts for Use in the 

ICH Regions 

Annex 4A 

Microbiological Examination of 

Nonsterile Products: Microbial 

Enumeration Tests General Chapter 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

Food and Drug Administration 

Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) 

Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) 

April 2009 

ICH
 
 

Guidance for Industry 

Q4B Evaluation and Recommendation of 

Pharmacopoeial Texts for Use in the 

ICH Regions 

Annex 4A 

Microbiological Examination of 

Nonsterile Products: Microbial 

Enumeration Tests General Chapter 

Additional copies are available from: 

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Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
 

Food and Drug Administration 

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 http://www.fda.gov/cder/guidance/index.htm 

or 

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Food and Drug Administration 

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 http://www.fda.gov/cber/guidelines.htm 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

Food and Drug Administration 

Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) 

Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) 

April 2009 

ICH 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

I. INTRODUCTION (1)....................................................................................................... 1
 

II. Q4B OUTCOME (2)......................................................................................................... 2
 

A. Analytical Procedures (2.1) ...........................................................................................................2
 

B. Acceptance Criteria (2.2)...............................................................................................................2
 

III. TIMING OF ANNEX IMPLEMENTATION (3) .......................................................... 2
 

IV. CONSIDERATIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION (4).................................................. 2
 

A. General Consideration (4.1).........................................................................................................2
 

B. FDA Consideration (4.2) ...............................................................................................................2
 

C. EU Consideration (4.3)..................................................................................................................3
 

D. MHLW Consideration (4.4) ..........................................................................................................3
 

V. REFERENCES USED FOR THE Q4B EVALUATION (5) ........................................ 3
 

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Contains Nonbinding Recommendations 

Guidance for Industry1
 

Q4B Evaluation and Recommendation of Pharmacopoeial Texts 

for Use in the ICH Regions 

Annex 4A 

Microbiological Examination of Nonsterile Products: Microbial 

Enumeration Tests General Chapter 

This guidance represents the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) current thinking on this topic. It 

does not create or confer any rights for or on any person and does not operate to bind FDA or the public. 

You can use an alternative approach if the approach satisfies the requirements of the applicable statutes 

and regulations. If you want to discuss an alternative approach, contact the FDA staff responsible for 

implementing this guidance. If you cannot identify the appropriate FDA staff, call the appropriate 

number listed on the title page of this guidance. 

I. INTRODUCTION (1)2 

This annex is one in a series of guidance documents that describe the evaluations and 

recommendations by the Q4B Expert Working Group (EWG) of selected pharmacopoeial texts 

to facilitate their recognition by regulatory authorities for use as interchangeable in the ICH 

regions. Implementation of the Q4B annexes is intended to avoid redundant testing by industry. 

For general information on the Q4B process, the reader is referred to the core guidance Q4B 

Evaluation and Recommendation of Pharmacopoeial Texts for Use in the ICH Regions.

3 

This annex is the result of the Q4B process for Microbiological Examination of Nonsterile 

Products: Microbial Enumeration Tests. The proposed texts were submitted by the 

Pharmacopoeial Discussion Group (PDG). 

1 This guidance was developed within the Expert Working Group (Quality) of the International Conference on 

Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) and has been 

subject to consultation by the regulatory parties, in accordance with the ICH process. This document has been 

endorsed by the ICH Steering Committee at Step 4 of the ICH process, November 2008. At Step 4 of the process, 

the final draft is recommended for adoption to the regulatory bodies of the European Union, Japan, and the United 

States. 

2

 Arabic numbers reflect the organizational breakdown of the document endorsed by the ICH Steering Committee at 

Step 4 of the ICH process, November 2008. 

3 We update guidances periodically. To make sure you have the most recent version of a guidance, check the CDER 

guidance page at http://www.fda.gov/cder/guidance/index.htm or the CBER guidance page at 

http://www.fda.gov/cber/guidelines.htm. 

1 
Contains Nonbinding Recommendations 

FDA's guidance documents, including this guidance, do not establish legally enforceable 

responsibilities. Instead, guidances describe the Agency's current thinking on a topic and should 

be viewed only as recommendations, unless specific regulatory or statutory requirements are 

cited. The use of the word should in Agency guidances means that something is suggested or 

recommended, but not required. 

II. Q4B OUTCOME (2) 

A. Analytical Procedures (2.1) 

The ICH Steering Committee, based on the evaluation by the Q4B Expert Working Group 

(EWG), recommends that the official pharmacopoeial texts, Ph. Eur. 2.6.12. Microbiological 

Examination of Non-Sterile Products: Microbial Enumeration Tests, JP 4.05 Microbiological 

Examination of Non-Sterile Products: I. Microbiological Examination of Non-Sterile Products: 

Microbial Enumeration Tests, and USP <61> Microbiological Examination of Nonsterile 

Products: Microbial Enumeration Tests, can be used as interchangeable in the ICH regions. 

B. Acceptance Criteria (2.2) 

The proposed texts evaluated did not contain acceptance criteria. 

III. TIMING OF ANNEX IMPLEMENTATION (3) 

When this annex is implemented (incorporated into the regulatory process at ICH Step 5) in a 

region, it can be used in that region. Timing might differ for each region. 

IV. CONSIDERATIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION (4) 

A. General Consideration (4.1) 

When sponsors or manufacturers change their existing methods to the implemented Q4Bevaluated pharmacopoeial texts that are referenced in section II.A (2.1) of this annex, any change 

notification, variation, and/or prior approval procedures should be handled in accordance with 

established regional regulatory mechanisms pertaining to compendial changes. 

B. FDA Consideration (4.2) 

Based on the recommendation above, and with reference to the conditions set forth in this annex, 

the pharmacopoeial texts referenced in section II.A (2.1) of this annex can be considered 

interchangeable. However, FDA might request that a company demonstrate that the chosen 

method is acceptable and suitable for a specific material or product, irrespective of the origin of 

the method. 

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Contains Nonbinding Recommendations 

C. EU Consideration (4.3) 

For the European Union, the monographs of the Ph. Eur. have mandatory applicability. 

Regulatory authorities can accept the reference in a marketing authorization application, renewal 

or variation application citing the use of the corresponding text from another pharmacopoeia as 

referenced in section II.A (2.1), in accordance with the conditions set out in this annex, as 

fulfilling the requirements for compliance with the Ph. Eur. Chapter 2.6.12. on the basis of the 

declaration of interchangeability made above. 

D. MHLW Consideration (4.4) 

The pharmacopoeial texts referenced in section II.A (2.1) of this annex can be used as 

interchangeable in accordance with the conditions set out in this annex. Details of 

implementation requirements will be provided in the notification by MHLW when this annex is 

implemented. 

V. REFERENCES USED FOR THE Q4B EVALUATION (5) 

A. (5.1) The PDG Stage 5B sign-off document: Japanese Pharmacopoeial Forum, 

Volume 14, Number 4 (December 2005) 

B. (5.2) The pharmacopoeial references for Microbiological Examination of Nonsterile 

Products: Microbial Enumeration Tests for this annex are: 

1. (5.2.1) European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.): 6.3 Edition (official on January 

2009) Microbiological Examination of Non-Sterile Products: Microbial 

Enumeration Tests (reference 01/2009: 20612). 

2. (5.2.2) Japanese Pharmacopoeia (JP): 4.05 Microbiological Examination of 

Non-Sterile Products: I. Microbiological Examination of Non-Sterile Products: 

Microbial Enumeration Tests as it appears in Supplement I to the Japanese 

Pharmacopoeia Fifteenth Edition (September 28, 2007, The Ministry of Health, 

Labour and Welfare Ministerial Notification No. 316). The English version was 

published on January 9, 2008. 

3. (5.2.3) United States Pharmacopeia (USP): <61> Microbiological Examination 

of Nonsterile Products: Microbial Enumeration Tests official in USP 30, January 

2007. 

3