Rapid Microbial Methods Reducing the impact of contamination events

News vom 28.11.2011 | Rubrik: Inhalt | Kommentare:
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Production lines do not stand still. Finished dairy products are packaged; boxes are cartoned; pallets are wrapped. Production lines do not stop, until they have to. For companies using traditional methods to test for microbiological contamination, shutting down a production line due to a potential contamination event is like opening a tap and watching money flow out. By the time the problem has been detected, the company has already invested quite a lot of time and effort, and has significant capital tied up in inventory. Rapid Methods for Enhanced Risk ManagementYou can cap the tap, or at least get the flow down to a trickle, by taking advantage of the risk management benefits of rapid microbial methods (RMMs). Earlier detection through rapid methods reduces the potential impact of events by reducing the volume of product that may be impacted – specifically, product that needs to be scrapped or reworked. By identifying a problem faster, corrective action can be initiated sooner and undoubtedly more effectively. It is easier to isolate and identify events that may have led to a contamination event yesterday than to try to troubleshoot those same events days or even weeks later. It is easy to remember the events of yesterday, but recalling precise details of what was different five days earlier is a lot more difficult. Celsis Rapid Detection’s proven RMM method is just as effective as traditional methods, but achieves results in as few as 48 hours (Fig. 1, above).Traditional agar plating is slow – requiring from 4 to as many as 14 days to deliver results depending on the product specifications as well as expected shelf life. In the example above, a company using the traditional agar plating method will incubate the product for 2-10 days, and then wait an additional 2-4 days to observe the plate for any visible contamination. Fortunately, with Rapid Detection companies have another option of testing for contaminants. Utilising ATP (adenosine triphosphate) bioluminescence technology, companies can significantly reduce the time required to obtain microbial screening results. Rapid Microbial Methods: Increasing Speed and Ensuring SafetyMethods such as post-production tear-downs or pH monitoring are unreliable and inadequate in ensuring against microbial contamination. The traditional agar plating method is slow, requiring a laboratory technician to collect and prepare samples in a growth medium and then, depending on product specifications and expected shelf life, wait anywhere from 4-14 days to individually inspect the samples for visual - and often very subjective - indicators of microbial growth. These slow, unreliable and subjective processes tie up significant amounts of money each year in working capital and excess inventory requirements, and also cause a delayed and, therefore, expensive response to contamination events when they occur. ....

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