Microbiological Testing & Analysis

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Part 3 of this Food Safety Insights series on rapid testing asks food safety professionals whether the vast increase in outsourcing of testing to contract labs has made rapid methods less useful, or if the methods' ease of use and speed are still important for better management and decision-making.

Romer Labs has received approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Federal Grain Inspection Service (USDA’s FGIS) for its AgraStrip® Pro Ochratoxin A WATEX® test kit, which facilitates the quantitative determination of ochratoxin A in wheat.

Romer Labs has received Performance Tested Methods^SM (PTM) certification from the AOAC Research Institute for its quantitative AgraStrip® Pro Total Aflatoxin WATEX® test kit for corn and peanut paste.

ImagoAI’s Galaxy for Mycotoxins Test, which the company calls the “world’s fastest” with results provided in less than 30 seconds, has achieved Performance Tested Methods^SM (PTM) certification from AOAC International.

With funding from the Center for Produce Safety, a researcher from the University of Arizona is exploring the usefulness of a handheld genetic sequencing device for in-field microbial characterization of irrigation water by the produce industry.

Hygiena’s Bax System PCR assay for Escherichia coli O157:H7/NM in raw meat products has been approved by Health Canada.

Researchers recently demonstrated the inadequacy of an industry standard quality test—Laboratory Pasteurization Count—for raw, organic milk, as it cannot sufficiently differentiate between groups of bacteria.

bioMérieux has entered an agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to collaboratively develop tools to combat foodborne pathogens.

Funded by the Center for Produce Safety, a University of Georgia researcher is leveraging cutting-edge technology to improve the standard method for detection of viruses on foods, and then will use the method to study infectious norovirus persistence on berries.

As part of the agency’s Leafy Greens STEC Action Plan, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published a report detailing the results of targeted inspections and microbiological testing of leafy greens grown in Salinas Valley, California during the region’s 2022 harvest season.