Quality results from France
The European Union is currently considering lowering the legal levels of alkaline phosphatese (ALP) in the dairy pasteurisation process.
According to Colin Peake, marketing director of laboratory equipment supplier, Quadrachem, although larger dairies are using advanced technology to assess the quality of dairy products, many smaller dairies are still using old equipment.
Minute traces of raw milk can now be detected in just three minutes using US laboratory equipment supplier Advanced Instruments's Fluorophos ALP Assay. The test can detect 0.003% of raw milk compared to the 0.1% sensitivity using a traditional colorimetric tube and, unlike the latter, the newer test can analyse a range of different dairy products including sheep and goat milk, flavoured products and cheeses.
The ALP enzyme reacts with dairy products that have been thermally abused and can alert technologists to the problem immediately, reducing the risk of re-pasteurisation and repair downtime.
The test has been approved by the International Standards Organization, the International Dairy Federation, and laboratory test validating organisation AOAC.
The Fluorophos test has an automatic display and also produces a printout of results. Computer controlled calibration ensures accuracy and memory protection in the event of power loss.
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An automated solution for microbial counting (enumeration) has been introduced to Europe. The French developer BioMeriuex says that the new Tempo system is the first of its kind and can be used to test meat products, poultry and eggs.
The firm claims that 80% of routine microbiological tests performed in the food industry involve enumeration. The analysis validates both the commercial value of the finished products; from when food leaves the plant to shelf-life expiration, and also the quality of the food products from a consumer perspective.
The use an automated technique for enumeration means labs can save time and money as staff can afford to focus on other areas. Tempo provides traceability via individual barcodes on each of its sample cards. This reduces the risk of error and provides earlier detection of product not within the required standards.
Although the bacteria enumerated by Tempo are not necessarily pathogenic, they can rapidly alter the appearance and taste of a product, says the company.
Contact: BioMeriuex, Tel: 0207 235 5330
