The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has incorporated the bioMérieux TEMPO® methodology into the Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook (MLG).

The MLG provides best practices for analytical testing and procedures to ensure the optimal safety of the U.S. food supply. Inclusion in the MLG is a very positive benchmark for bioMérieux’s TEMPO® technology—a highly sensitive and automated system that enumerates microbiological contaminants in the food supply including Esherichia coli and a variety of other bacteria yeasts and molds that contaminate beef chicken and pork.

One of the most labor-intensive laboratory procedures is the Most Probable Number test for detection and enumeration of microorganisms. Automating this routine process with TEMPO® laboratories can save analysis time, reduce operational costs, eliminate the need for manual plate counting and dedicate more resources to testing pathogens of importance to public health.

“Foodborne illness and food contamination have become major public health and economic concerns worldwide” says Nicolas Cartier, corporate vice president, bioMérieux Industry Unit. “The adoption of TEMPO® by USDA FSIS is an important recognition of our ongoing commitment to bring to agri-food manufacturers state-of-the-art technology for monitoring food hygiene.”

TEMPO® automates food quality testing for total viable counts coliform counts generic E. coli and Enterobacteriaceae lactic acid bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and yeasts/molds. Enumeration of these organisms is important to a food quality laboratory for determining overall product hygiene and also as an indication of product spoilage.