Pathogens

MICROLAB IS A SAFE SOLUTION FOR PATHOGEN SELF-TESTING Microlab is a unique solution for Salmonella and Listeria testing because: It is 100% safe. It can be performed in the food industry without the risk of contaminating the plant due to an accident. It is simple. It can be performed by non-qualified personnel without the need of a laboratory. It is ready-to-use. The device integrates all the material necessary for the analysis, including its inactivation. The benefits for the user are very high when: It needs a quick result to release its product to the market. For example, ready-to-eat foods. It does not have the technical and financial resources to have an in-house laboratory and qualified staff. It does not have the time, both to prepare its own reagents and to perform a multi-step assay that will require dedication and concentration. Microlab is the solution for any food industry that does not currently carry out a Salmonella and Listeria analysis in its plant because it does not have the resources but needs a quick self-control to release its goods.   MICROLAB BASIC FOR CUSTOMERS WITH A LABORATORY Some industries or independent laboratories may have a small laboratory and sufficient qualification to be able to carry out their own analyses easily. Microlab Basic is the solution for these customers because: The kit includes all the components to prepare the enrichment medium and perform the detection step with a rapid test. It can perform a simple and quick test. It just has to follow good laboratory practices to work with these samples and to inactivate them at the end of the assay. The technical specifications are identical to those of Microlab. The price is lower.   TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS OF MICROLAB AND MICROLAB BASIC Microlab Salmonella and Microlab Listeria have been evaluated by the Performance Tested MethodsSM programme of the AOAC Research Institute.   Do you need information about Microlab and Microlab Basic? Request the leaflets, product instructions and/or Power Point presentations to marketing@zeulab.iatic.es [button target="_self" hover_type="default" font_weight="400" text_align="center" text="Discover the complete line of Zeulab for the control of pathogens" link="https://www.zeulab.iatic.es/en/patogenos/"] Leer más Patógenos Microlab Listeria Leer más Leer más Patógenos Microlab Salmonella Leer más

Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella are currently two of the bacteria causing most concern in the food sector in terms of safety. In order to produce safe food, food industries should have a correct self-control system. This system should be focused on both the final product and the work surfaces, due to the fact that these areas might lead to recontamination, especially in case of ready-to-eat products. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has established a series of guidelines to perform the surface testing properly. This document claims that “The two most common methods to collect samples are “surface sponging” and swabbing”. But, which one is the ideal method to carry out the self-control in my company? The choice of the most suitable method for each surface depends on different factors such as, the amount of surface to be sampled, the presence of cracks or areas of difficult access, the number of samples… Furthermore, the possible presence of biofilms increases the necessity of performing the surface sampling with strong friction. If this friction is not carried out strongly, the presence of pathogenic bacteria wouldn’t be detected. It is well known that most of the commercial methods for the detection of Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes are based on swabbing. However, the surface sponging is recommended by The FDA due to its stronger friction ability and its possibility of sampling larger surfaces. The MicroLab Surfaces method has been optimized for the surface sponging following these guidelines. Therefore, surface analysis can be easily performed with the sponge included with each MicroLab device. This sponge should be directly inserted into the MicroLab device to allow carrying out the Salmonella or Listeria monocytogenes tests in two simple steps. Leer más Pathogens Microlab Listeria Leer más Leer más Pathogens Microlab Salmonella Leer más [button target="_self" hover_type="default" font_weight="400" text_align="center" text="Discover the complete line of Zeulab for the control of pathogens" link="https://www.zeulab.iatic.es/en/patogenos/"]

Listeria monocytogenes is currently considered one of the emerging pathogens causing most concern in the food industry in terms of safety. This is due mainly to its great importance in ready-to-eat products; an example of which was the 2019 outbreak in shredded meat. In preparing these products, treatments are usually applied to prevent this type of pathogen; however, subsequent handling, such as packaging or slicing operations, may lead to recontamination. Thus, to combat this risk of recontamination, the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) prepared a series of guidelines for “establishments that produce ready-to-eat foods which may lead to the development of Listeria monocytogenes to take samples from the equipment and production areas, as part of a sampling plan”. Controlling this bacterium, therefore, must form part of food companies’ risk prevention policies, while these in turn are officially monitored to ensure they are sufficient to guarantee the safety of their products. To help remove any doubts that food companies may have about their procedures – e.g.  Is my control plan sufficient to produce safe food? Am I following the AESAN guidelines correctly? Will the official control bodies accept my self-monitoring plan? - reliable methods that comply with AESAN guidelines need to be used. The MicroLab Listeria monocytogenes surfaces solution is a very simple system that meets the requirements of this document, offering reliable results in a short time and guaranteeing 100% analysis safety for companies in protecting their own premises. Leer más Patógenos Microlab Salmonella Leer más Leer más Patógenos Microlab Listeria Leer más [button target="_self" hover_type="default" font_weight="400" text_align="center" text="Discover the complete line of Zeulab for the control of pathogens" link="https://www.zeulab.iatic.es/en/patogenos/"]

The control of pathogens in foodstuffs is a major point in food safety.  Testing laboratories and food companies have to perform diagnostic tests in order to detect contamination in any stage of the production chain of foodstuffs.

Recent cases of food poisoning (in 2019) due to Salmonella and Listeria show that appeared in the media have highlighted the importance of the control and analysis of pathogens (Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella) and the consequences for consumers and companies in the food sector. They have been serious cases, like 5 dead from eating sandwiches in the hospital in the UK, 5 dead by consuming trout and smoked salmon or French Government stopped  the production of a cheese company after finding Listeria in their products.

The new MicroLab device can detect the presence of Salmonella or Listeria in food samples in a simple and safe manner. The new system integrates all the assay steps into a single disposable device. It facilitates and speeds up the results while minimizing production losses in case of contamination. Listeria and salmonella are two of the main concerns of the food safety sector. During the period of 2014-2017 there were 1,139 outbreaks of food salmonellosis in Spain and more than 1800 cases of infection in the EU by listeria were reported. In order to manage and improve self-inspection, the company Zeulab is launching onto the market “an analysis device, all in one, which will allow food businesses to autonomously self-inspect without risk of contamination in a simple and reliable way,” notes CEO Dr. Pedro Razquin Zeulab. MicroLab has two product lines, one for detecting Salmonella and one for Listeria monocytogenes. Microlab integrates the three phases of the analysis onto one device (enrichment, detection and inactivation). The process is performed as follows: the device is hermetically closed after introducing the sample, preventing any risk of contamination in the presence of positive samples. Once the enrichment stage has passed, 24 hours or 48 hours for Salmonella Listeria, the result is obtained in 15 minutes in a visually and easily interpretable manner. Once the text is complete, the device may be inactivated so that it can be disposed of in a safe way. The advantages of this new device include the ability to reduce/eliminate the risk and perform a first check for both those products that due to having a short life need fast results and companies that do not have their own laboratory and need fast results that enable them to start the transformation process of the product. It permits the application of the device on a wide variety of meat, dairy, egg and smoked products. Safety and risk of contamination are key elements in the reputation of food brands. Thanks to its simplicity and safety, food businesses will have a new safety system incorporated in their work processes, allowing them to analyze themselves without the need for an internal laboratory, an extra step in food safety.

Does the food legislation allow a pathogen test in a food production plant? The legal regulation that regulates the microbiological quality of foods is mainly included in the EC Regulation No. 2073/2005 that establishes the microbiological criteria that a food must meet in terms of food safety and the EC Regulation No. 852/2004 regarding the hygiene of food. These regulations describe how food operators must control microbiological risks in their production facilities. According to these indications it is very important to select a specific method for the detection of the pathogens of interest and that at the same time can be implemented safely according to the available resources. MicroLab allows self-control in the plant, guaranteeing the safety of the food produced, as well as that of its employees. It is an assay that is carried out entirely in a hermetically sealed device, eliminating the risk of contamination derived from the analysis. Do I need to have a laboratory in my facilities to carry out a pathogen test? With the new Microlab device you do not need a lab. A small space to place a stove at 37°C and a table where to place a scale is all you need to analyze Salmonella or Listeria in your facilities. Does the analysis of pathogens imply contamination risks for my installations or workers? The available methodologies for pathogen analysis involve the transfer, between different containers, of samples that may contain high concentrations of pathogens, posing a risk of contamination. However, the use of Microlab to detect Salmonella and / or Listeria eliminates this risk since the device is hermetically closed after depositing the sample, thus preventing the exit of any liquid or gas generated during the test. In addition, the enriched medium is neutralized by eliminating the presence of any microbial growth.