Laboratory & QA/QC

When I joined the lab team in May I was familiar with lab equipment and testing but I wasn’t familiar with luminometers and ATP. I had heard

Food safety concerns are on all food manufacturers’ minds (and, honestly, probably in their dreams too), so it is critical to know how bacteria grow.  Armed with that knowledge, we are better able to stay ahead of bacterial contamination in the food manufacturing facilities.

Often, when I was in the plant environment, I would refer back to a case study put together by the Royal Society for Public Health in 2010. It laid out some excellent basics on growth factors for bacteria in a concise manner that readers

What is the difference between water activity and water “moisture” content? Well, it all depends on what you want to achieve. Do you want to monitor the amount of water and dry matter present in a product? Or do you want to increase and monitor the shelf stability of a product?

“Water ‘moisture’ content is the amount of water contained in a product”. Measuring water “moisture” content is better used to determine quality of the process. For example, if the product is a cheese powder that is spray dried, it is common practice to measure the water “moisture” content to determine yield and to ascertain if your drying process is running according to the diagnosed plan.

On March 22^nd, Nelson-Jameson is excited to offer our “pH Workshop” at the University of Wisconsin-Baraboo/Sauk County. The course will be facilitated by Nelson-Jameson’s in-house pH expert, Steve Zdun. The workshop is perfect for an array of food and beverage industry producers to learn more about the basic principles of successful, and effective pH analysis in the processing environment.

Participants will garner insight into a host of topics, including: sample preparation techniques, choosing the best electrode/meter for the job, the importance of Automatic Temperature Compensation, calibration techniques, cleaning/maintenance procedures, and basic trouble shooting. Steve has also planned time for a question and answer session, as well as one-on-one consultation. By the end of the session that runs from 9am-12pm, class participants will leave with a constructive base of information to take with them into their facilities, as well as receive a

When preparing 3M™ Petrifilm™ for use in your environmental monitoring program there are different hydration methods to follow, depending on the test and the context in which it is used.

For air or direct contact procedures where Aerobic Count, Coliform Count, E.coli/Coliform Count, Rapid Coliform Count or Enterobacteriaceae Count Petrifilm™ are being used, hydrate plates with 1 mL of appropriate sterile diluent. Allow hydrated plates to remain closed for a minimum of 1 hour before use.  If using Staph Express Count Petrifilm™, hydrate plates with 1 mL of appropriate sterile diluent. Refrigerate hydrated plates for a minimum of 3 days before using.

For air testing using either Yeast and Mold Count or Rapid S. aureus Count Petrifilm™, hydrate plates with 1 mL of appropriate sterile diluent. Allow hydrated plates to remain closed for a minimum of 1 hour before use.

You may have seen our announcement earlier this year that we started working with Cherney Microbiological Services to provide educational opportunities for customers interested in learning more about food safety, sanitation, and a host of other topics.

Well, we are happy to announce that Cherney has released their Cherney College course offerings for 2016!

Contact us at [email protected] or call 800-826-8302 if you would like to learn more about any of the following course offerings or to register (early bird discounts are available for registrations submitted 30 days prior to the course date). Courses are held in Green Bay, Wisconsin.