Food Microbiology

Beyond the traditional methods to a new standard

Enhanced detection in complex food matrices
Minimal sample preparation
Rapid results for faster market release
Microbial load enumeration direct on samples

Detecting microbial contaminants in food ingredients and products is tricky, as they are often embedded deep within the product. Traditional techniques can be cumbersome, need extensive hands-on time and sample preparation, and produce false positives or negatives.

The Symcel calScreener™ detects contaminants deep inside even the most complex food products with minimal hands-on time. There’s no extensive sample preparation, it differentiates between harmful foodborne pathogens and the normal flora naturally present in the product. And its speed is a game-changer, often delivering results within just hours instead of days.

Need for speed

Some food products are particularly perishable, with very short shelf lives, so that timely release to the market is crucial. However, the process of microbial and quality control testing can delay the release time but also increase the need for costly warehouse space.

The Symcel calScreener™ detects contaminants deep inside even the most complex food products, with minimal hands-on time required. Its rapid results, often within hours, reduce time to market while retaining freshness and a minimal need for storage.

Microbial load detection

Detecting microbial load in non-sterile products like ground meat is tricky. Traditional time-consuming methods include removal or amplification of bacteria from the product to be counted using either plate counting or Q-PCR – often random and inconsistent in removing all bacteria with inaccurate counts and assessments.

Preventing contamination

There are few things in the food production industry more important than maintaining clean, sterile production facilities. The testing process for sterility after cleaning can be lengthy and costly. The problem is compounded if testing methods fail to detect each microbial cell, leading to short-term recontamination. Traditional methods often miss viable but non-culturable cells so that the risk of contamination persists.

The Symcel calScreener™ detects single microbial cells, ensuring no contaminants are overlooked. It is remarkably sensitive and quickly detects all types of microbes, including slow-growing bacteria, anaerobes, spores, molds, and yeast. You can drastically reduce downtime, knowing that your lines are truly sterile and ready for use.