This document defines general rules for the aerobic preparation of the initial suspension and of dilutions for microbiological examinations of products intended for human or animal consumption.

This document is applicable to the general case and other parts apply to specific groups of products as mentioned in the foreword. Some aspects might also be applicable to molecular methods where matrices can be associated with inhibition of the PCR steps and consequently affect the test result.

This document excludes preparation of samples for both enumeration and detection test methods where preparation instructions are detailed in specific International Standards.