Reducing Risk of Microbial Contamination

It seems the mainstream media’s attention on the food industry gets more critical with each new headline, making the issue of ensuring food safety more important than ever.

“With bacterial outbreaks in the food industry, microbiologists have looked for alternative methods in quality control,” comments Sinderella Abdallah, microbiology product manager at Advanced Instruments, Inc. “With that in mind, the market has developed various systems, varying in speed and accuracy, to aid microbiologists.”

Doris Engesser-Sudlow, diagnostics global director at DuPont Nutrition & Health agrees. “Increasing regulatory requirements for controlling pathogens, such as for STEC in the U.S. or Salmonella serotypes in Europe, are driving an increased use of rapid testing methods.” Engesser-Sudlow explains food companies are looking at every step of their process, including improving shelf life, sample collection, automation, reduced labor cost, and testing accuracy.

Luckily, companies like Advanced Instruments, DuPont, and others are answering the call to provide diverse solutions for food companies. For instance, Advanced Instruments’ Autoplate Spiral System provides a reduction in costs by eliminating up to 75 percent of materials required with serial dilutions by providing a 4-log dilution effect across a standard plate in a 35 seconds cycle time. Meanwhile, Roka Bioscience offers an all-in-one molecular pathogen detection design. Its Atlas system can save valuable bench space and eliminate the need for additional equipment, like centrifuges or biological safety cabinets. TandD ensures users don’t have any gaps in data collection with its wireless instruments that deliver error-free record keeping. And besides food diagnostic systems formerly available under the Qualicon name, DuPont Nutrition & Health also offers its DuPont Danisco range of ingredients to provide enhanced protection against unwanted microbes and other benefits.

With the spotlight put on food contamination as of late, laboratories can rest assured there are comprehensive solutions available that have the capability to meet all their microbial testing needs and ensure their products don’t make headlines for the wrong reasons.

Zboraj is Editor of Food Quality.

DuPont Nutrition & Health

ESL Bldg. 400

PO Box 80400

Rt. 141 & Henry Clay Road

Wilmington, DE 19880-0400

(302) 695-5300

Fax: (302) 695-5301

BAX® System real-time PCR assay for Salmonella

Food companies that want to release product faster to save inventory costs and extend shelf life appreciate the speed and accuracy of the DuPont™ BAX® System. Certified by AOAC-RI as an effective method for detecting Salmonella, this real-time assay is also convenient, requiring no up-front concentration steps. Learn more.

www.fooddiagnostics.dupont.com

TandD US, LLC.

475 Broadway, #321

Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

[email protected]

Staying connected to your data has never been easier

T&D is dedicated to providing you with the easiest and most reliable way to monitor and report data across an entire enterprise. With proven wireless and network-­connected solutions, you’re able to monitor all aspects of food preparation, transportation, storage, and service.

www.food.tandd.com/FQ

Roka Bioscience, Inc.

20 Independence Blvd., 4th Floor

Warren, NJ 07059

855-ROKABIO

The Atlas® System fully automated molecular pathogen detection system

Roka Bioscience is focused on delivering solutions that meet the Food Safety Industry’s needs. The Atlas® System is a fully automated and integrated solution for food safety testing. It can produce over 300 results in 8 hours; and over 500 results in 12 hours. Realize new levels of productivity and efficiency with Roka Bioscience.

www.rokabio.com

Advanced Instruments, Inc.

Two Technology Way

Norwood, MA 02062

(781) 320-9000

Autoplate® Spiral Plating System

The Autoplate SPS features 50 percent faster cycle times about 35 seconds as opposed to one minute a new Windows® CE-based touchscreen display, and features three new spiral plating modes. The system introduces a revolutionary new self-cleaning feature that is fast, thorough, and completely ensures no sample-to-sample contamination.