News archive item

Microbiology

From October 2009 newsletter     

Microbiological contamination of food products is a major concern to the industry. The presence of some microorganisms in certain products may be of no consequence, whilst others, even at extremely low level, could result in a real risk to the consumer. Understanding which microorganisms are of concern, in what products and how they may be controlled is the role of our microbiologists.

Roy Betts, Head of Microbiology, explains: "One of the areas where we are often called upon to advise, is whether a particular organism or group of organisms might be a problem in a specific foodstuff. This will depend primarily on two factors: whether the organisms are likely to gain access to the food (e.g. are they part of the natural microflora, or are they a common contaminant?), and whether they will be able to grow in the foodstuff. We can advise on whether a particular organism is regularly associated with a food, and use a range of mathematical models to predict likely growth under different sets of conditions.The latter is particularly useful when developing new products with different formulations, such as reduced salt, sugar and preservative levels: the models help to screen out formulations that are likely to be a problem. We can also carry out challenge testing - a technique whereby the specific organisms are inoculated into the food to see whether and how quickly they grow."

Processing

Of course, much food is processed in order to inactivate organisms, and our microbiologists can offer advice on the optimum types of process needed to achieve a stable food, on many occasions doing on-site process validations to prove the efficacy of a process to give the desired antimicrobial effect.

Specifications

Once the food has been produced and packed, it is usually tested against a specification to verify that the controls used during manufacture have worked. Helping companies set realistic microbiological specifications has long been a role of Campden BRI. Our extensive research on microbiological test methods also means that good advice can be given on the best test methods to use to obtain reliable results in the fastest possible time.

Methods only work if they are used correctly, and obtaining reliable results is key to understanding the microbiology of the product and manufacturing process.We can help in two ways: our extensive service laboratories can analyse samples for a range of organisms, giving clients access to fast quality results, whilst companies with their own laboratories can make use of the Campden Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (CLAS) to assure themselves that these laboratories are operating to the highest standards.

Contact

Roy Betts
+44(0)1386 842075
r.betts@campden.co.uk