Microbiological

ARTICLES

Food Safety Insights: 5 Years Later, Part 1

Celebrating the Food Safety Insights partnership with Food Safety Magazine

August 17, 2021

The Food Safety Insights column began in 2017, and for the past 5 years, it has been providing insights on changes and developments in the food safety marketplace. How has the market changed and what are the key drivers and trends that continue to drive food safety markets?

Food Safety Testing Continues to Increase

Processors plan more testing—but only some analytical methods show growth

Bob Ferguson

June 17, 2021

In a continuation of this topic from April/May, we dig deeper into current microbiology sample collection and analysis practices of food processors around the world and their future plans.

Food Safety Insights

Testing to Continue to Increase in 2021

Environmental monitoring and a focus on continuous improvement in sanitation drive increases in test volumes

Bob Ferguson

April 15, 2021

As food processors continue to recover from 2020, we wanted to find out more about their plans for 2021. One thing was clear: Testing—especially environmental monitoring—will continue to grow at a rapid pace.

Testing

Guilty Until Proven Innocent: Presumption of Positivity and the Presumed Problem of Nonconfirmable Presumptives in Food Pathogen Diagnostics

Daniel R. Demarco Ph.D.

February 26, 2021

The rate of nonconfirmable presumptives in food pathogen diagnostics has increased significantly in recent years. We explore the reasons why in this article.

You Can’t Change the Future by Always Looking at the Past

Ongoing food safety issues with leafy greens

Keith Warriner Ph.D.

January 15, 2021

I recall sitting in the office one day in the fall of 2018 when I received a call from a reporter who informed me that there had been a further outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 linked to romaine lettuce. After an initial response of “oh, no,” the reporter asked why do we continue to have outbreaks linked to lettuce?

Adoption of WGS: What Is Going On?

Bob Ferguson

August 17, 2020

Whole-genome sequencing has changed how the identification of outbreaks and harborage organisms is performed.

Trends in Food Safety Testing

Bob Ferguson

June 24, 2020

Food safety testing volumes are increasing and focus on Listeria.

Analytical Testing in Food Safety Continues to Grow

Bob Ferguson

April 16, 2020

No trend has been reported as being more impactful than the increase in the amount of analytical testing being conducted—especially the increase in testing for microorganisms.

Keys to Effective Monitoring for Listeria

Samuel D Alcaine

August 20, 2019

For ready-to-eat food processors, developing and implementing pathogen environmental monitoring programs are important parts of their sanitation controls.