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.
Adenosine triphosphate sanitation verification systems are now the standard method for evaluating and monitoring sanitation efficacy at food companies around the world.
Microbiology International recently sat down with Brooks Wong of the USDA-FSIS to discuss use of the MediaPrep and MediaFill systems and how the equipment has affected its daily process.
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