T E S T I N G
When most people
think ‘microbiology’,
they think of the
clinical markets –
such as hospital labs.
However, with the ever-increasing
standards of food hygiene and
customer awareness, the onus is
on food manufacturers/handlers
to ensure this product is free from
bacteria, toxins and potential allergens. Having
PRODUCT
CONFIDENCE
WITH RAPID
TESTING
the confidence of knowing your product has
been adequately tested can not only differentiate
you from your competitors, but also ensure you
stay in business.
There are many types of
testing for microbes or
contaminants in food
Traditional microbiology is the most accurate
way to enumerate / discover any potentially
dangerous micro-organisms in your product
– this process involves collection of samples,
dilution, and then pipetting onto growth media to
enable reading of results in 24-48 hours.
However, this is relatively time consuming, and
so the rapid test methods become desirable,
especially if your manufacturing distribution
process requires a fast turnaround. Neogen
Corporation is the world’s biggest specialist
company providing rapid tests not only for
pathogenic and spoilage bacteria, but for many
different allergens such as soy, gluten, peanut,
histamine etc. These tests range from simple to
use lateral flow strips to quantitative kits with
specificity down to 2 ppb.
Of course, for the best results, your food
processing equipment must be as clean as
possible. So, the need for testing the hygiene
of equipment before your manufacturing run
34 JUNE 2020