Resources

Cronobacter infection in infants can be deadly, and it is the responsibility of companies to make sure their products are safe. In this article, we explain what Cronobacter is, how it gets in products, and how testing can protect consumers and brand reputation.

This webinar outlines the concept, design and execution of appropriate validation strategies and procedures intended to mitigate microbiological hazards in Low-Water Activity Foods. In the context of FDA regulations, low-water activity foods (LWAF) are those products with a water activity (aw) of less than 0.85. For many decades, these products were believed to present a low microbiological hazard risk. Various food related illness outbreaks, starting with a massive outbreak of salmonellosis due to peanut butter consumption in 2008-2009, raised awareness of the risk resulting from extended survival of pathogens in these products even in the absence of active growth. Original airdate August 23, 2022.

This webinar aims toward detailing the issue of high acid products, assisting with the categorization of these products, and providing strategies for managing products that fall under the acidified food category but do not receive a full thermal process. Original airdate August 10, 2022.

Besides flavor, salt is commonly used as a preservation ingredient to bind available water and help lower the water activity. It helps create conditions that are hard for pathogens to grow in. Learn more how the addition of salt in a smoked salmon product is not very straightforward with removing pathogen risk.

Contaminated peanut butter recalls have wreaked havoc on the food industry. By understanding how to prevent and mitigate risk of Salmonella contamination, we can prevent economic loss and illness. Learn more in this article about why it keeps happening.

Developing a product requires careful consideration of storage, transport, and retail conditions. Spoilage organism testing helps determine the risk of bacterial spoilage under different conditions. Additionally, spoilage testing can be added to routine microbiology testing to ensure continued product quality and safety.

Indicator organisms are groups of microbes that are correlated with other groups. In other words, the presence of one indicates the presence of another. So, indicator testing detects a small group of pathogens instead of running over 30 tests to look for all potential harmful groups. This reduces testing times and costs.

Manufacturing microwave food or Ready-to-Heat (RTH) products have compelling benefits and challenges. Learn more about the chemistry of how microwave technology works, applications in the food industry, and how testing is an important piece when manufacturing or selling these products.

High-Pressure Processing is a food processing technology that enables food safety while maintaining food quality. Learn how this high-pressure technology contributes to food science and testing to help support HPP processing and HPP food safety.

What's the role of microbiology in the food industry? Learn how microorganisms can positively or negatively affect food production and storage. Partner with our ISO 17025 accredited laboratory for all your food safety microbiology testing needs.