Materials such as glass, metal, wood, plastic, bone, rocks and others are among those that the industry works very hard to keep out of raw materials, ingredients and finished goods.
Outbreaks of foodborne diseases from fresh and fresh-cut produce continue to occur in the United States. The variables related to the degree of microbial pathogen contamination of produce are very high.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), major outbreaks of foodborne illness due to Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli and Listeria affect an estimated 48 million people in the U.S. each year. Introduction of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) has shifted focus towards ongoing prevention through establishment of documented food safety plans, which include Hazard Analysis, preventive controls and recall plans.
As the number of microbiology tests performed in the food industry increases due to companies meeting new regulatory requirements, fulfilling customer demands and with added emphasis on internal QA/QC programs, efforts are being made to streamline testing methods–both hands-on time to set up a test and time to final result.
As food safety philosophy shifts from reaction towards prevention, demand is increasing for rapid, accurate and cost-effective tools to monitor the efficacy of preventive control programs.
Laboratories are utilizing automation that will provide multiple benefits such as the delivery of high-quality data and the ability to take on additional workloads without increasing staffing levels.
Most food manufacturers need outside laboratory support at some time or another; the laboratory should be subjected to the same rigor that one would apply to selecting any vendor.
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