30.4.20 04 Official Journal of the European Union L 144/1 EN 
COMMISS ION DEC ISION 
of 26 April 2004 
amending Decision 2001/471/ EC as regards bacteriological tests in certain m eat 
establishments 
(notifi ed under document number C(2004) 1519) 
(Text with EEA relevance) 
(2004/379/EC) 
THE COMM ISSIO N OF THE EU ROPEAN  COMMU NITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establi shing the European Communi ty, 
Having regard to Council Directive 64/433/EEC of 26 June 1964 on health conditions for the 
production and market ing of fresh meat1, and in particul ar Article 10(2) thereof, 
Whereas: 
(1) Commission Decision 2001/471/EC2obliges operators of meat establishment s to 
conduct regular checks on the general hygiene conditions of production in their 
establ ishme nts. 
(2) That Decision lays down rules for the bacteriologica l testing of carcasses of cattle, 
swine, sheep, goats and horses. It provides that the results of the bacteriologica l tests 
are to be convert ed into daily log mean values in order to compar e them  to the limits it 
lays dow n. 
1OJ 121,  29.7.1964, p. 2012/64. Directiv e as last amended by Directiv e 95/23/E C (OJ L 243, 
11.10.1995, p . 7). 
2OJ L 1 65, 2 1.6.2 001,  p. 4 8. 
L 144 /2 Official Journal of the European Union 30.4.2004 EN 
(3) Member State s are current ly implement ing two differen t meth ods of calcu lation to 
convert  the test results into a log mean value, which results in different numerical 
values.  
(4) The implem entation of bacteriologica l testing should be harmonised within the 
Communit y. The method of calculat ion for the conversion of the results of the 
bacteriologica l tests of meat set out in Decision 2001/471/EC should therefore be 
clarified. 
(5) Decision 20 01/471/EC shou ld therefore be amended acco rdingly.  
(6) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordanc e with the opinio n of the 
Standing C omm ittee on  the Food  Chai n and  Anim al He alth, 
30.4.20 04 Official Journal of the European Union L 144/3 EN 
HAS A DOPTED  THIS D ECISION :  
Artic le 1 
The Annex to Decision 2001/471/EC is amended in accordance with the Annex to this 
Decision. 
Artic le 2 
This Decision shall appl y from 20 May 2004 
Artic le 3 
This Decision is addressed to the Mem ber States. 
Done at Brussels, 26 April 2004. 
For the Commission 
 D avid BYRNE  
Member  of the Comm ission 
_______ 
L 144 /4 Official Journal of the European Union 30.4.2004 EN 
ANNEX   
Part 1 of the Annex to Decision 2001/471/E C is amended as follows: 
1. In the Secti on entitled ‘Appl ying microbiological criteria to excised-sa mple test results 
(Table 1 )’, th e firs t senten ce is r eplaced by the  follow ing: 
‘The daily mean of the log results  should be allocate d into one of three categories for 
process cont rol veri fication: a ccept able, m arginal , and unac cepta ble.’ 
2. Table 1 is replac ed by the following: 
‘Table 1 
Daily mean of the log values1for marginal  and unacceptable results for bacterial 
performance criteria for cattle, pig, sheep, goat and horse units (cfu/cm²) for samples 
taken b y the dest ructive met hod. 
Acceptable range Marginal range 
(> m but ≤ M) Unacceptable range(> M) 
Cattle/sh eep
/goat/horse Pig Cattle/pig/shee p/ 
goat/horse Cattle/pig/shee p/ 
goat/horse 
Total  
viabl e 
counts 
(TVC) < 3,5 < 4,0 3,5 (pig: 4,0) 
- 5,0 > 5,0 Daily 
mean of 
the log 
values 
for Entero -
bacte ria-
cae < 1,5 < 2,0 1,5 (pig: 2,0) 
- 2,5 (pig: 3,0) > 2,5 
(pig: > 3,0) 
1The daily mean of the log values is calculated by first taking a log (log 10) value of each 
individual test result and then calculati ng the arithmetical mean of these log values.’