A interesting article in Dairy Foods, recently appeared with the title "Lab Testing Dynamics, A Discussion with Industry Experts." In the article, Dairy Foods interviewed a few of our vendors, asking the question; “What are the most vulnerable safety points in dairy foods manufacturing”?

 The responses given were:
Interview #1: “The presence of antibiotic residue in milk is always a concern.  Even at the best run farms, accidents can happen. That is why the industry has a strong program for testing milk to insure that it is free of antibiotic residues.  The tests used to detect the presence of antibiotics in milk are divided into two basic classes.  There are fast, reliable tests based on antibody/antigen reactions.  They are generally limited to detecting a single antibiotic or a class of antibiotics.  The other technology uses the growth of special strain of bacteria that is very sensitive to antibiotics.  These tests can detect a broad spectrum of antibiotics from many different classes; however, they generally take two to three hours to complete”.

The kits referred to in this response are our DSM Delvotest kits, which are item numbers: NCIMS use kits; 233-3006 (Delvotest P, 25 test kit), 233-3480 (Delvotest P, 480 test kit), 233-3009 (Delvotest SP, 25 test kit).  We also offer the SP-NT (which stands for no tablet), item # 233-3424 (25 test kit) and the 233-3148 (100 test kit), which at the present time do not have NCIMS certification.

Interview #2: “Because the dairy processing environment is typically very wet, Listeria monocytogenes contamination is always an issue.   Many plants monitor incoming receiving bays, areas where walls and floors merge that are difficult to dry thoroughly, central drains and non-food contact equipment surfaces.  A prominent method used for monitoring indicator bacteria in dairy plants is a rehydratable film that incorporates dyes and an auto-counter for enumeration”.  This product is referring to 3M Petrifilm, item #460-3447.

Nelson-Jameson offers these products, as well as many others to help detect issues within your plant or farm to help you better manage your business.