Microbial Analysis

Microbiological quality is critical in food and feed product safety assessment. Microbial food testing is essential to identify food borne pathogens and spoilage organisms. This testing can ensure continued safety of food products along the supply chain. Monitoring of functional microbes which may be entered during production or in the final product is equally important.

Eurofins microbial analysis will help clients to assess the safety and efficacy of ingredients, semi manufactures foods, final products and the entire processing steps. We have international network of testing laboratories with most advanced technologies and experts developing up-to-date standards for microbial testing for diverse food and feed samples.

Eurofins offers both classical and modern methods like PCR, VIDAS for rapid microbial analysis. We also provide experts guidance and solutions for questions related to reliable tests or methods to be used.

Eurofins establishes itself in such a way that it can perform microbiological testing services according to local, national or international regulations and thus marking itself as a global leader in analytical testing services provider.

Current microbiological testing methods

A wide range of testing methods are available to assess the safety of food matrices which includes traditional (also termed as Wet Chemical) techniques as well as advanced approaches like spectroscopy, chromatography, VIDAS, PCR and many more.

Currently, liquid or gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry is mostly used chemical testing method as it facilitates detection of low concentrations of analytes even in highly complex food matrices.

Traditional microbial testing involves time intensive procedures like culture-based techniques with selective agars, or other biochemical assay techniques. Moreover, identifying for the presence of harmful microbes like allergens, food fraud, food borne pathogens is much easier and accurate with DNA-based biomolecular technologies.

Some of the advanced technologies that will continue to have a significant impact on microbiological testing for food safety include:

• Culture-based tests such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods and rapid diagnostic test kits for detection of bacterial pathogens and microbial toxins.
• Biosensor-based techniques - real time testing
• DNA-based fingerprinting techniques with high degree of specificity for assessing the safety of food.
• VIDAS testing

Have a glance at various testing services offered by Eurofins

As a global industry leader, Eurofins Microbiology Laboratories is widely accepted and trusted for its honest test portfolio, breadth and depth of microbiology service offerings, rapid result turnaround time, and reasonable price points. Our technical expertise is additional bonus for customers, including food safety program development to spoilage and pathogen prevention strategies. we make sure that our services are fast, accurate, local, and convenient to our customers.

We offer microbial food testing services for various parameters including our standard and Rapid microbial solutions like PCR by Eurofins BAC Gene & VIDAS® along with traditional Cultural technique.

Pathogens

A full suite of pathogen detection tests is available in our testing scope. We offer multiple technology platforms using both biomolecular and conventional cultural techniques as well as follow industry validated methods. Our experts help customers to resolve their regulatory compliance, FDA detention, and other contamination related issues.

List of many pathogens we currently analyse in our laboratory include -

• Salmonella species
• Listeria monocyogenes and species
• Escherichia coli, O157:H7, O157, and STECs
• Staphylococcus aureus
• Campylobacter species
• Bacillus cereus
• Shigella species
• Clostridium perfringens
• Cronobacter sakazakii
• Pseudomonas aeroginosa

Indicators & Spoilage Organisms

Each Eurofins Microbiology Laboratory offers an extensive selection of industry standard methods including FDA BAM, AOAC, USP, and USDA MLG. We offer both rapid and traditional methods and also test according to customer requirements. In addition, we have dedicated teams to conduct shelf life and stability analysis as well as special projects including verifications, validation, challenge studies and more.

List of common indicator and spoilage organisms we can screen in your product -

• Aerobic Plate Count
• Yeast & Mold
• Coliforms
• Enterobacteriaceae
• Lactic Acid Bacteria
• Alicyclobacillus
• Heterofermentative Lactic Acid Bacteria
• Spore-forming Mesophilic Aerobic Bacteria
• Spore-forming Mesophilic Anaerobic Bacteria
• Spore-forming Thermophilic Aerobic Bacteria
• Osmophilic Yeast & Mold
• Anaerobic Plate Count
• Psychotropic Plate Count

Food Safety Projects

Eurofins team of scientists and technical experts are experienced in setting up and executing various food safety project needs. Below are few of the projects our teams manage.

• Method Verifications & Validations
• Method Comparisons
• Pathogen and Spoilage Challenge Studies
• Spoilage Investigations
• Microbial strain identification by Sanger sequencing
• Heat Resistant Moulds and further specific identification

Related services

Eurofins extends its support for microbiological food safety and offers some of the following related microbiological tests:

• Challenge tests
• Characterisation of micro-organisms (includes identification of strains)
• Shelf-life studies
• Hygiene parameters

We deliver our services to following categories

• General Food and Beverage
• Ingredients & Raw Materials
• Produce
• Meat & Seafood
• Pet Food
• Dietary Supplements
• Probiotics & Starter Cultures

Advantages of Eurofins in food testing

• Fast turn-around time (TAT)
• Local contact with a Global Network
• Participation in industry associations and regulatory bodies allowing early advice on potential food scares and legal obligations
• Expert advice - testing schemes, on-site-check for hygiene and allergens, labelling advice and traceability
• Results you can rely on
• International presence