Andrzej Benkowski
Technical Manager, Probiotics & Dietary Supplements
As the Technical Manager at Eurofins Center of Excellence for Probiotics, Andrzej Benkowski brings over 18 years of expertise in biotics quality management, testing, and technology. With a strong technical background in food microbiology, Andrzej specializes in contract R&D, method development, and pioneering technologies for probiotic evaluation.
Since 2019, Andrzej has chaired the International Probiotic Association (IPA) Technical Committee and has been a member of the IPA Board of Directors since early 2024. He also contributes to the IPA Postbiotics Committee and has served as the IPA expert liaison with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) TC34/SC9 Working Group 11 since 2022, co-convening their Enumeration Subgroup.
Andrzej is dedicated to advancing the biotics industry by setting rigorous standards and driving innovation with a focus on quality.
Outside of his professional and scientific achievements, Andrzej is a member of the Eurofins Madison Site Employee Engagement Team and manages the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program for the site. A founding member of the funk band Steez, he also plays saxophone, synthesizers, and vocals. Andrzej enjoys the outdoors, spending time with his family, and pretending to be a coffee aficionado. Additionally, he has a passion for collecting sneakers and fitted hats.
Below are resources from Andrzej:
Pathogenic organisms, like Salmonella and E. coli, can grow in low water activity foods, leading to foodborne illness outbreaks. Thermal processes inhibit microbial growth and ensure only safe ingredients and products reach the shelves. Thermal processes must be validated to make sure they fully prevent pathogen growth. This blog outlines what foods may need an LWAF thermal process, what a validation study looks like, and the results the experts at Eurofins provide.
In this webinar FREMONTA & Eurofins discuss cloth sampling method validation for microbial testing on beef trim. Original airdate November 10, 2022.
Foreign materials in products can be dangerous to consumers and damage a brand's reputation. At Eurofins, our team of experts is equipped to identify the cause of contamination and help come up with the ideal solution for you. The case study outlines our approach to identifying the source of microbial contamination in bottled juice, and how we work with clients to prevent future issues.
Pathogen testing is a key part of product development. It can prevent foodborne outbreaks and protect consumers' health and brand reputation. Before developing a testing plan, it is important to understand how any why testing is conducted. This White Paper provides an overview of the types of pathogens to test for and the testing options at Eurofins.
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.
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.
