Testing services and equipment

Website: www.3m.com/microbiology

The 3M Petrifilm Staph express count plate method for the enumeration of Staphylococcus aureus in selected dairy foods has received an Official Methods number from the Association of Analytical Communities (AOAC), the company says.

Methods for the enumeration of S. aureus in selected types of processed and prepared foods, meat, seafood and poultry also were given AOAC numbers, 3M says.

The 3M Petrifilm method delivers confirmed S. aureus test results in as few as 22 hours and in three simple steps, the company says. The method requires only one incubation temperature and is equivalent to the BAM three-plate Baird-Parker agar and tube-coagulase method. All Petrifilm plates are manufactured at an ISO 9002-certified site.

The ABB Group has made available the FTPA2000-DA10 Butter Process Analyzer for continuous measurement of percent-fat, percent-moisture and percent-salt.

The analyzer is based on ABB’s in-line Teflon block cell. Standard cell diameter is 4 inches, but other sizes are also available. The butter is measured “as-is” and is not modified; data is updated every minute. The long path length (30 millimeters) allows measurements that are virtually unaffected by wall deposits, ABB says.

The cell and its accessories are housed in a NEMA 4X enclosure and support CIP. A rack-mounted ABB FT-NIR spectrometer completes the hardware installation. The Butter Process Analyzer supports up to two measuring streams and fiber optics is used to connect the Teflon block cell to the analyzer, ABB says.

Analytical Technologies Inc. (ANI) recently introduced the Acudairy dairy products analyzer.

Acudairy uses infrared technology to analyze the content of fluid milk, skim milk, cheese milk, ice cream mixes, cream and condensed milk. The analyzer provides results on fat, protein, lactose, total solids and solids-non-fat in 30 seconds, the company says.

The analyzer is easy to use and durable, featuring a reliable single piston pump and an optical system that has been designed to give accurate sample responses, ANI says.

Acudairy also is computer controlled and offers electronic storage of results and online troubleshooting.

Website: www.charm.com

Charm Sciences has introduced the SL-6 Beta-lactam Test for Amoxicillin, Ampicillin, Ceftiofur, Cephapirin, Cloxacillin and Penicillin G. The test received National Conference of Interstate Milk Shipments approval for meeting Appendix N, bulk tank/tanker milk screening requirements, Charm Sciences says.

SL-6 tests for all six major Beta-lactam antibiotic residues in raw, commingled bovine milk in a single test strip using ROSA (Rapid One Step Assay) technology. The test includes Cloxacillin, an antibiotic that other simple screening tests do not detect, the company says. In addition to accuracy and precision, the SL-6 is designed to be user friendly with rapid results in about 8 minutes, the company adds.

Charm Sciences also says it will introduce CharmLink software for Charm ATP hygiene monitoring tools — data management and analysis software with one-touch downloading and report querying into onto Microsoft Excel. Reports are generated by grouping variables such as location, surface type, test groups and/or test channels.

Website: www.dsm-foodspecialties. com

The Delvo MCI-12 farm block incubator from DSM Food Specialties has been developed for use with Delvotest antibiotic residue tests for the farm.

The Delvo MCI-12 farm block incubator is a major improvement over the older model farm block heater, DSM says. It has the following features: on/off switch; pre-heating indicator light; digital read-out display; internal programmable electronic timer; and choice of automatic shut-off or alarm.

With the Delvo MCI-12, Delvotest users will be able to leave running tests for extended periods of time and make accurate determinations of the antibiotic status of samples without the risk of false negative readings due to overheating of borderline samples, the company says.

Website: www.foss.dk

Foss North America announces the availability of the FIAstar 5000 Flow Injection Analyzer for the measurement of nitrates and nitrites in dairy, meat and other food products in accordance with ISO-approved methods.

The FIAstar features a closed-system design that reduces operator contact with harmful reagents.

A miniaturized pre-packed copperized cadmium reduction column makes handling safe and disposal easy, Foss says. Final results are available within 60 seconds of sample injection.

The FIAstar 5000 uses Windows- based software to assure ease of operation and minimal operator training. A 120-position auto sampler option allows for unattended operation of the system, the company says.

Website: www.foss.dk

Foss has introduced the MilkoScan Minor, a compact milk composition analyzer designed for users such as smaller dairy plants with a limited need for analysis capacity, but with a desire for fast, reliable and safe measurement of several parameters at a low cost, the company says.

MilkoScan Minor measures a range of parameters including fat, protein, lactose, total solids, solids-not-fat and freezing point depression in different types of milk and cream.

The MilkoScan Minor is based on AOAC/IDF approved IR technology and comes with factory-made calibrations, offers automatic cleaning and zero setting and analysis of cold samples without the use of hazardous chemicals. It is a practical automatic alternative to the manual performance of wet chemistry analysis, Foss says.

IDEXX Laboratories Inc. has announced the approval by FDA and launch of its SNAP Beta-Lactam Test Kit used by dairy producers to detect antibiotic drug residue in cow's milk.

IDEXX says it has improved the test's cephapirin dose response, moving its detection level closer to the FDA tolerance level. IDEXX received AOAC Research Institute approval on March 31, 2003, and FDA approval to market the improved test kit on Nov. 5.

The company says it decreased the sensitivity of its beta-lactam test without changing the other features and attributes of its IDEXX SNAP test platform. The new test replaces the previous SNAP Beta-Lactam Test Kit and is offered at the same price.

Larry Chaney, dairy business general manager, IDEXX, says the decreased sensitivity means that dairy producers will experience fewer subviolative positives and will ultimately be at a much lower risk of having to dump safe milk.

Website: www.instron.com/pr

Instron is featuring its 3300 series single column texture analyzers, designed to evaluate the texture of solid and semisolid foods including cheeses.

The 3300 series includes a precision load frame with integrated digital control electronics, a load cell, and Series IX testing software. The system provides automatic recognition and calibration of load cells eliminating the need for calibration weights, Instron says.

The series is a cost-effective solution for quality control/quality assurance and research and development labs, and a range of test fixtures and software allows food texture and food packaging testing to be performed on the same system, the company says. Test fixtures for shear, deformation, puncture, stickiness, harness and other texture tests are available.

In addition to constant speed tests, the 3300 series can perform true strain rate and load rate tests using Instron’s Merlin software. The series meets various testing standards and includes a high-torque DC motor with digital position control and mounts for lighting and various accessories, the company says.

Website: www.mvtl.com

Minnesota Valley Testing Labs has announced the availability of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for Salmonella, Listeria species, Listeria monocytogenes and E. coli 0157:H7 in cheese and equipment swabs.

This test is quicker and more precise than other tests and is the same system that USDA uses for its Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes testing, MVTL says. Reliable, genetics-based results are available the next day for Salmonella and E. coli 0157:H7 and in 48 hours or less for Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria.

MVTL also has natamycin testing available. The test measures the concentration of the anti-microbial food additive in cheese products.

MVTL uses the high-performance liquid chromatography method of testing, which gives more accurate and selective results than other methods, the company says. Test results are generally available in 5-7 days but can be gotten sooner if the client desires, MVTL says.

Website: www.nelsonjameson.com

Nelson-Jameson has added a number of new products to its laboratory line.

Customers can confirm that equipment has been cleaned without having to invest in expensive ATP equipment by using SpotCheck and SpotCheck Plus. The SpotCheck swab will initiate a color change within 30 seconds to tell if a surface is dirty or clean.

Customers who are plating may be interested in the QD loop, a 3-in-1 device that makes collection and plating of liquid samples easy, the company says. The tips of the loop are designed to collect the proper sample volume to produce the desired dilution quickly and easily.

Nelson-Jameson also now offers a complete line of software designed to help create and enhance HACCP programs. Software consists of five separate editions covering HACCP, hazards, and standard operating procedures, or it can be purchased as a complete package.

On-Line Instrumentation Inc., a division of Metron Instruments, is offering the York Dairy Analyzer for mid-infrared analysis of fat, protein, lactose, sugars, solids-not-fat and total solids.

The York Dairy Analyzer uses mid-infrared spectroscopy technology to provide a comprehensive report of critical component parameters, the company says. Samples are homogenized and analyzed, with results immediately accessible for real-time analysis. It has a capacity of up to 350 samples per hour, On-Line Instrumentation says.

The analyzer includes a six-channel output including Fat C and solids filters, has available pre-calibration for milk and cream and a multiple-language readout. The York system consists of the York Dairy Analyzer and York and YorCal software.

Website: www.webbersmith.com

Webber/Smith has made available process simulation services which assist in identifying process system bottlenecks and problems and aid in improving throughput and efficiencies, the company says.

The services include a computer simulation program for proposed or existing process systems that analyzes the whole process from raw ingredients receiving through packaging. It is of particular value to clients who are adding on to their process system, the company says. The program is customized for each client using the client’s data.