Food Safety Magazine

As a result of the changing regulatory landscape, there is need for more accurate identification and quantification of contaminants in environmental and food-related samples.

The data indicate that processors are making preventive efforts to maintain or improve the performance of their allergen programs.

With so many food testing laboratories out there, how do you find the one that’s best for your business? Here are some tips to help you get started.

Foreign material is introduced in two ways: via raw materials and internally by the production process. They offer different challenges and require specific strategies to address them.

The number of reported incidents and recalls related to Listeria and L. monocytogenes has been increasing, and processors are making efforts to rid their facilities of harborage organisms and sites.

Most physical contaminants of foods, such as pieces of hard plastic or wood, can cause consumers immediate injury; this includes all types of foods, including beverages, bottled water, and nutritional and functional products.

The intent of adulteration is rarely to cause harm to health, since this would defeat the purpose of slipping a cheaper ingredient under the radar.

This new sensing mechanism can detect very faint traces of foodborne viruses that can help prevent epidemics and further transmission.

Green sprouts have been the poster child for a fresh produce item that causes more than its share of food safety concerns.

The way processors view their responsibilities regarding microbiological testing is changing. Regulatory pressure and a focus on food safety are causing changes in where processors do their testing.

Increased consumer interest in food safety and quality issues, combined with expanding regulatory initiatives, are increasing the importance of testing.

Whether you are just setting up your environmental Listeria monitoring program or reassessing your existing program, there are basic elements that you will want to include.

Advancements in testing automation have allowed for the development of smaller, more flexible solutions that fit into existing laboratory configurations and workflows. BioControl System’s Assurance GDS® system utilizes the targeted isolation capabilities of immunomagnetic separation and the specificity of DNA-based detection to provide fast and accurate results for even the most challenging food samples.

As molecular methods for pathogen detection continue to improve, emerging pathogens are being described around the world in molecular terms. The use of real-time PCR methods developed by Bio-Rad has the benefits of automation, high sensitivity, high precision and accuracy, and the flexibility to assay for more than one pathogen simultaneously.

The Listeria Right Now™ test system detects Listeria, including the pathogenic Listeria monocytogenes, in environmental samples in under 60 minutes—with molecular-level accuracy and without the need to enrich samples. The test has also been submitted for AOAC Performance Tested certification to further validate its accuracy.

Can you tell whether whole-genome sequencing (WGS) or DNA fingerprinting is better for ensuring food safety? In truth, both are equally powerful techniques. Both have advantages and disadvantages and are realistic choices for maintaining food safety.

With so many ingredient, flavor and preservative combinations possible, food matrices can be very complex. Bia Diagnostics can develop a customized plan to meet your specific testing needs, including evaluation and validation of the method with each specific matrix that the assay would encounter in your facility.

The Biosart® 100 Monitor system, a Sartorius Biotech product that is distributed by Weber Scientific, has been designed specifically for the detection and enumeration of microorganisms potentially present in food, beverages and water. It is a membrane filtration system that is the microbiological method of choice for many customers testing fluid product, particularly for brewing, juice, soft drink and potable water laboratories.