Resources

Food safety risks in fruit and vegetable processing environments can come from many different sources. Agricultural items are inherently dirty products, which can introduce risk- including microbial pathogens- to a facility from the outside environment. If your Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP) and sanitation programs are not sufficient to control these risks, these products could be potentially cross contaminating other products that are subsequently processed in the facility. It is therefore imperative that we think about risks from both our incoming products and our processes when designing environmental monitoring programs.

Non-culturable presumptive (NCP)- samples that yield positive pathogen detection results by PCR screening methods but do not confirm by cultural methods- can be frustrating and disruptive to clients. These situations are not unique to a testing company or the methods that are run, but it is possible to understand the root causes of NCPs, and to identify additional procedures to reduce the frequency with which they occur and minimize the likelihood of these situations impacting your data.

When you submit a sample to the laboratory for microbiology testing, what happens? Follow a Listeria spp. sample through the lab workflow in this infographic.

The demand for low- and non-alcoholic beverages is booming, driven by evolving consumer preferences for healthier, more mindful drinking options. But behind this innovation lies a complex challenge: without alcohol’s natural antimicrobial properties, these beverages face a higher risk of spoilage and contamination. Ensuring product safety, shelf stability, and regulatory compliance requires more than careful brewing—it calls for the expertise of a qualified process authority. Here is a look at the key risks, essential testing protocols, and proven strategies to keep your low- and no-alcohol products safe, high-quality, and market-ready.

In this on-demand webinar about controlling listeria, Dr. Douglas Marshall discusses some common sampling and testing practices and highlight risks associated with their use. Original Air Date: January 22, 2025.

This article describes the basics of flow cytometry in its application to probiotic enumeration, including a comparison between flow cytometry and traditional plate count methods, afu vs cfu, advantages and disadvantages of flow cytometry, marketplace examples and investigative case studies.

The effectiveness of a preservative or antimicrobial product is critical in ensuring the safety of a food product and extending its shelf life. This article helps you to understand the basic considerations of preservative and antimicrobial efficacy testing, including determining a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), giving you the background needed to select the best test methods for your food product evaluation.

In this on-demand webinar Doug Marshall and John Scanga explain the latest regulatory challenges in food safety and quality from the FDA and USDA with a focus on the new rules and regulations. Original airdate August 7, 2024.

This poster evaluates the microbiological safety of immersion method concentrated coffee, and single strength cold brew coffee processed by UHT. The results were used to determine if temperature controls for safety (TCS) should be required for these products during retail.

This poster discusses research with the purpose to validate enrichment concentration as a method for shortening enrichment times to 12 hours for Listeria testing in leafy greens.