IFH_26_2

Volume 26 Number 2 (2015) Improving the global safety and quality of food and drink

International

FoodHygieneMYCOTOXINSFood safety concerns and successful screening.

HAIR CONTAMINATIONAchieving the ultimate goal – zero complaints.

PACKAGINGDisinfection with high intensity UV light.

CONTROLLINGCONTAMINANTSWe look at optionsfrom around the world.

LABORATORYTESTINGSafeguarding the food supply chain.

FOOD PREMISESThe writing is on the wall for hygienic surfaces.

http://www.foodprotection.org

International Food Hygiene — Volume 26 Number 2 3

Foodforthoughtwith cumin, paprika and allspice’?Meanwhile, the sufferers of any nutallergy will believe they have to filltheir waste bins with every spicethey own and shun spicy food whenthey eat out. The food chain is looking for reli-able tests and reliable sources as itseeks someone, somewhere, to findthe answers. The whole world is our pantry andthe safety challenges we face arebest met with answers from everyexpert source. It is fortuitous thatmany international food protectionexperts, members of the IAFP, willmeet in Cardiff in April.The program will focus on manyvaluable food safety topics and,although it was planned in advanceof this new challenge, an event likethis attracts people with a deepinterest and extensive expertise.The greatest value for delegateswill be gained from the discussionsand the ideas they develop for solutions to the hot topics of today. With the finest Welsh lamb on themenu the mint sauce is bound to bepure and fresh! n

News of the nut protein contamination in spices hasopened a can of worms

that get fatter and fatter as timegoes by. Almonds in spice X, orpeanuts in spice Y and possibilities of combinations continue to beannounced. Accident or fraud, carelessness or intent, the questionsare being asked quicker than theanswers are delivered. If it is a fraudulent act then it is certainly more dangerous than theswitching of horse meat for beef.However the media passions thatarose to protest at eating ‘BlackBeauty’ are unlikely to be matchedto protest at the deadly consequences of spices bulked withnut protein. Will we be regaled with regular statistics of positive test numbers?Will questions be asked in parlia-ment? Will it become a plank insome political platform?Where does this leave the cateringindustry as it tries to comply with itslegal obligation to inform the nutallergic customer about the safety ofits dish of the day –’Roast Chicken

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International Food Hygiene (ISSN 0961 2831) is published six times a year ( January, March, May, July, September, and

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Cover Picture: Contamination control is in your hands!(photo courtesy of Microbiologics)

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WorldFocusAn executive summary of key international issues

Do we have the correct tools?

Following a conference of school principals in Brisbane, Australia, attended by over 1,000delegates, some 250 claim to have been afflicted with gastro-intestinal symptoms. It hasnow come to light that there was another outbreak of food poisoning among people whoattended a conference at the same location a week earlier. On this occasion at least 10people became sick with salmonella food poisoning. This highlights how food poisoningoutbreaks involving people from diverse locations can be so difficult to identify and one hasto wonder if the first outbreak would ever have been confirmed if the second, larger onehad not occurred?

You can not spend money you have not got!

A chef and his manager have recently been jailed in England for their involvement in aChristmas Day turkey dinner that made over 30 people ill, perhaps killing one of them. Theywere convicted of falsifying records and lying to police. The establishment’s owner was fined£1.5 million for placing unsafe food on the market. The food poisoning was caused byClostridium perfringens and arose because the turkey meat was not adequately cooked ornot correctly reheated. One can have no sympathy with the two individuals who were jailed,but what good was served by the fine on the company – would more good have come fromthis case if they had been ordered to spend the money on food safety improvements?

Improvements

Just what do they mean?

There are legally defined limits for a whole host of things, including mycotoxins, antibioticsand pesticide residues, but what do they actually mean? In some instances they are purely areflection of the limit to the sensitivity of the test used at the time the limit was set! Shouldwe be talking about an absolute limit or should we be talking about the amount consumedover a period of time? The former makes more sense to the scientific mind, but the lattermakes more sense to the legislative mind because it is easier to enforce! If we work to theexisting limits approach, do we run the risk of prosecuting when the limit has beenexceeded but none of the other foods consumed contained the substance in question?

Limits

Epidemiology

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International Food Hygiene — Volume 26 Number 26


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by Lakshmikantha Channaiah, Directorof Microbiology, and Mirka Morales,Microbiology Subject Matter Expert,AIB International, USA.

Mycotoxins are a significant foodsafety concern in the grain supplychain. Contaminated food and feed

products represent a major threat to humanand animal health. These toxic fungi arepresent throughout distribution and haveadapted to a wide range of habitats,including deserts, high salinity, and extremetemperature environments. There arehundreds of mycotoxins known to exist, butnearly 30 of them have been wellcharacterised and are considered harmful tohumans and animals.The most important mycotoxins thatcause severe economic and health damagesare aflatoxins, vomitoxin/deoxynivalenol

(DON), fumonisins, ochratoxin A,zearalenone, patulin and T-2 toxin. Table 1 gives additional details onmycotoxins, fungal sources, and targetcommodities. Aflatoxins are likely the mostwidely occurring and studied mycotoxins inthe world implicated with various diseases.To protect consumers from mycotoxins,several countries have implementedregulations to limit the exposure ofmycotoxins in food and feed products.

Economic impact

Consumption of foods contaminated withmycotoxins can lead to serious healthimplications if the toxins are present at highlevels. A disease or disorder caused due tomycotoxin contamination is calledmycotoxicoses. Some mycotoxins can beacutely or chronically toxic, depending onthe type of toxin, dosage, age, andsusceptibility (immunocompromisedpatient). The long term exposure to mycotoxin-contaminated foods can increase cancer riskand suppress the immune system.Diagnosing a patient for suspectedmycotoxicoses is challenging because thesymptoms are similar to those caused byother pathogenic micro-organisms.Worldwide, approximately 25% of foodcrops are affected by mycotoxins, causing aloss of billions of dollars every year. Thepresence of mycotoxins at levels higher than

the US Food and Drug Administration limitscan have an adverse effect on the economy.Grain producers and food manufacturerswould suffer the consequences of thereduced marketability or recall of theirproducts both domestically andinternationally. The economic impact ofmycotoxins includes loss of human andanimal life, increased health care cost,reduced livestock production, losses incrops, product recalls, increased researchinvestment, and cost associated withregulatory programs directed towardmycotoxins.

Field and storage fungi

Fungal infection and subsequent productionof mycotoxins can occur at the field duringcrop growth or harvesting, and maycontinue during storage. Although it is verydifficult to classify them based on origin,fungal contamination can be divided intotwo major groups: field fungi (Fusarium andAlternaria spp.) and storage fungi(Aspergillus and Penicillium spp.). Generally,the original source of fungi is from the field.

Mycotoxin synthesis

Temperature, water, salinity, nutrientstresses, and pest infestation are importantreasons for fungal infection of field crops. In

Continued on page 9

Mycotoxinsand food safety concerns

Moulds and mycotoxins: what youneed to know

• Fungi are throughout distribution.

• Most fungi do not produce mycotoxins.

• More than 400 identified mycotoxins.

• 30 well characterised mycotoxins areconsidered harmful to animals andhumans.

• Usually ingested in contaminated food.

• Most are thermostable and cannot bedestroyed in normal cooking conditions.

• Usually no treatment for mycotoxin poisoning.

• Drying will not detoxify mycotoxins.

Table 1. List of major mycotoxins, fungal sources and target commodities.

Mycotoxins Fungal source Target commodities

Vomitoxin/DON F. graminearumF. culmorum Wheat, corn, barley

Aflatoxins(B1, B2, G1, G2)

A. flavusA. parasiticus Corn, peanuts, oilseeds

Fumonisin F. moniliformeF. proliferatum Corn

Ochratoxin A A. ochraceusP. verrucosum Wheat, barley, coffee

Zearalenone F. graminearum Corn, sorghum, wheat

Patulin P. expansum Cereals, apple, olives, grapes, peach

Five important facts• Mycotoxins are not detectable by sightor smell.

• Not all mouldy grains/foods containmycotoxins.

• Grain/food does not have to lookmouldy to be contaminated.

• Not all grains/foods containing mycotoxins are toxic.

• Mycotoxins may not be uniformly distributed.

http://www.hygiena.com


general cool and wet weather favoursFusarium toxins, while hot and humidweather favours Aspergillus toxins. Highmoisture content (water activity (aw)),temperature, and poor sanitary conditionsare associated with fungal infection andsubsequent mycotoxin synthesis in storedgrain. Fungus grows in a temperature range of50-105°F, above 0.7aw, and a pH range of4-8. It is possible to predict the type offungal growth and subsequent mycotoxinproduction to some extent depending uponthe type of grain, moisture content, andtemperature of the stored grain. However, the conditions for mycotoxinsynthesis are generally more critical andcomplex than those for fungal growth. Forgrain handlers and food producers, it isimportant to monitor the temperature andrelative humidity during storage at regularintervals.Relative humidity influences the moisturecontent of stored grain, resulting in more orless water available for fungal growth andsubsequent mycotoxin synthesis.Additionally, storage fungi are morefrequent in bins infested with storedproduct insects. These stored productinsects act as potential routes fordistributing fungal spores.

Sampling and testing

Proper grain sampling and samplepreparation are important for accurate testresults. There are several testing toolsavailable to detect and quantify mycotoxinsin grain and grain-based products. Various testing tools, such as thin layerchromatography, high-performance liquidchromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography,and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays(ELISA) can be used depending on theneeds. Since fungi can still grow andsynthesise mycotoxins in a sample, samplesshould be properly preserved (dried, frozen,or treated with mould inhibitor) andshipped quickly for analysis to avoidvariation of test results.

Management

Mycotoxin content increases with delayedharvest, rain, and cool weather. Propercleaning of harvested grain is a must toreduce mycotoxin content as mycotoxinconcentration is greatest in damaged kernelsand fine material. Drying harvestedcommodities to a safe moisture level (aw ofabout 0.7) and maintaining grain moistureduring storage is crucial for controlling orminimising fungal growth and subsequentmycotoxin synthesis.Maintaining uniform grain temperaturesthroughout the grain mass is important toavoid moisture imbalance. This can beachieved by passing large volumes of

ambient air (aeration) through the grainmass.Detoxifying mycotoxins in grain and grain-based products is a complex and expensiveprocess. Several detoxification methodshave been developed (ammonification,ClO2, ozone, etc) to treat mycotoxincontaminated grain and feed products.However, there are several limitations andchallenges that still remain. Most mycotoxin-contaminated grain detoxification methodsare either too expensive, have safetyconcerns, or leave residues in thecommodities that would affect the end use.Therefore, preventing fungal infection,rather than trying to treat infected grain orproducts, is the best practice. The CO2-sensing technology developed inrecent years is one of the most promisingtechnologies for early detection of spoilagedue to moulds during grain storage.

Assessing risk

Increasing awareness among grain handlersand food producers and encouraging goodagricultural and manufacturing practices, aswell as HACCP, are the most common andbest strategies to lower health risks and theeconomic losses.Risk analysis platforms exist for both foodsafety as well as for more technical riskassessment purposes for the associatedfood product.The Food and Agriculture Organization ofthe United Nations (FAO) and the WorldHealth Organization (WHO) have devisedchemical and microbiological benchmarksthat are used by national and worldwideauthorities for food safety risk assessments.These benchmarks use three main principlesof risk: assessment, management, andcommunication and serve as a guide to theindustry to minimise unforeseen negativehealth and economic impacts.It is key to include within these principlesthe hazard identification, characterisation,exposure assessment, and likelihood. Usingthis information, such risks may beprioritised and proactive prevention

protocols for risk management alternativescan become part of existing food safetyprograms at the agricultural site or plantprocessing facility.Also, using resources from the latestlegislative and regulatory safety margins,guidance documents, emerging news, orscientific studies relating to mycotoxinsshould be considered to aid food businessesin product monitoring, use of effectivesampling techniques to determine risk,product trending history, regular riskreevaluation, and business programs andinternal policies.There have been several and variedregulations pertaining to mycotoxins overthe years. Initially, many were not based onsound scientific evaluations. Currently, there is a lack of concurrenceamong countries, but in recent years theCodex Committee on Food Additives andContaminants (CCFAC) has inclined towardharmonisation by inviting position papers onproposed regulatory limits for severalmycotoxins. The ultimate goal is to achieveoptimal regulations for human safety whichdo not become trade barriers for foodcommodities that can be impacted by thesetoxins. n

Continued from page 7

Fig. 2. Mapping concepts of risk (FAO).

Risk-based sampling: How to prioritise and set a sampling rate to verify food safetymeasures are working:

• Document risk assessments formycotoxin/product combinations.

• Incorporate best practice guidelinespublished by food regulators andprofessional bodies.

• Use appropriate sampling andanalytical methods to generatesound results.

• Review analytical results, food surveys, food safety measures effectiveness, food regulator guidelines and other sources of information to update risk assessment and set new prioritiesand sampling rates.

Risk assessment:• Hazard identification• Hazard characterisation• Exposure assessment• Risk characterisation

Risk communication:• Comparison• Interaction• Prioritisation• Education

Risk management:• Acceptable risks• Prevention• Options• Cost/benefits• Regulations


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International Food Hygiene— Volume 26 Number 2 11

by Richard Burnet, ABurnet Ltd,Walter Street, Draycott,Derbyshire DE72 3NU, UK.

When big food retailers dis-cover hair contaminationthey fine the food and

drink manufacturers who make thestore’s own-label products. Theyeven de-list the very worst offend-ers. It is a big incentive to manufac-turers to work harder to reduce thenumbers of complaints, but it is acomplicated challenge.

A food production worker canboast of having between 100,000 to145,000 scalp hair-shafts at anygiven time. An average of 40-130hair-shafts will be lost each day andbe a significant risk of food contami-nation. In a food factory of 100workers between 4,000 and 13,000hairs each day need to be containedto protect the consumers and theretailer’s reputation and the manu-facturers business.

When workers started to wearhead covers such as mob caps andhairnets it helped to control thereleased hair. Yet it has not been aseffective as food makers hoped andreports and fines continued to hap-pen.

ABurnet Ltd has been workingwith respected scientists at theUniversity of Bolton on a £250,000research project. The knowledgeand data has been gathered in aWhite Paper entitled ‘Target ZeroHair Complaints’ and it is now avail-able for readers to access online(www.aburnet.co.uk/target-zero-hair-complaints). It has been inde-

pendently reviewed by ProfessorBarry Stevens MA FTTS, Presidentof the Trichological Society 2014-16.

The research discovered a widerange of factors that influence therate of hair loss; natural and envi-ronmental factors that can reducethe effectiveness of some head cov-ering and causes of workers discom-fort that can significantly boost thenumbers of hairs that they shed.

ABurnet developed products andmethods of covering as the researchprogressed and trials with closeassessment of the test candidatesproduced hundreds of pieces of datathat demonstrated the most effec-tive hair control methods andmeans.

Professors Subhash Anand,Subbiyan Rajendran and Dr KarthickKanchi Govarthanam contributedsignificantly to the research reportand the White Paper is rich in detailand explanation that will help foodand drink producers to understandthe causes of hair shedding and theways and means of achieving zero ornear zero contamination.

The issue of hair contamination isnot just a natural phenomenon ofhair shedding but also a direct resultof modern hair styling.

According to Professor BarryStevens:l Higher rates of hair shedding canbe attributed to poor diet, reducediron levels, post natal alopecia, feveror numerous other medical condi-tions.l Hair damage is common – due touse of high temperature thermal

appliances employed in hairdressingprocedures.l Chemical processes (colouring,permanent waving, relaxing orstraightening) are potentially damag-ing by compromising the proteinstructure of the hair-shaft. l Levels of such damage will beindividually unique.l Current conditioners do notrepair hair-shaft damage but are use-ful in providing temporary improve-ment to lustre, feel, and dragreduction during routine grooming.l The above processes compro-mise hair-shaft elasticity and tensilestrength leading to such conditionsas tricoptilosis (splits) or bubble hairsyndrome (blisters) and/or trichor-rhexis nodosa (node formation)with possible severance at somepoint along their axes.

It is the daily on-going shedding/

severance of hair-shafts that will befound to contaminate food andtherefore need to be effectively con-tained.

Professor Stevens adds: “If weaccept that hair-shaft shedding is aconstant occurrence it is possiblethat 13-43 hairs could be shed fromthe scalp of each employee duringan eight hour period. This equateswith 1,300-4,300 hairs per 100 peo-ple.

“These figures can be significantlyaugmented by thermal injury andseverance (following exposure toexcessive heat from hairdryers, curl-ing tongs etc) and chemical insult(bleaching, colouring, permanentwaving, chemical relaxing or chemi-cal straightening). The figures will befurther increased by the daily lossesof beard, nasal and ear hairs, eye-brows and eyelashes.”

Why contain hairs?

Whilst daily grooming will removemany of these shed and damagedloose hairs, the fact that:l Clearly not all shed and damaged‘loose’ hairs are removed by per-sonal grooming.l Many hair styles are not brushedor combed but ‘distressed’ leavingthe shed and damaged loose hairson the head in addition to thoseshed during the work activity itself.l Drying wet hair with high temper-ature settings on hair dryers andstyling with curling tongs damageshair causing it to break off.l Chemical treatments such ascolouring, chemical straightening andperming damage hair causing it toweaken and frequently break offprematurely.l Individual’s habits vary greatlywith some people showering beforesleeping rather than just beforework.l Many people do not wash hairdaily.l Hair shedding is occurring all thetime, including during the work shiftitself.

These shed and broken ‘loose’hairs will be disturbed and poten-tially contaminate production during

Trichorrhexis Nodosa photo-micrograph (x50). The high spotsindicate the points of eventualseverance (B. J. Stevens).

Left (A) a 12gsm mob cap. Inherent gaps in material easily allow hairto protrude. Right (B) KleenCap breathable hair barrier fabric restrictshair penetration. StayCool technology transports moisture throughthe fabric to evaporate into the atmosphere to help keep workerscool. Antimicrobial inhibits the multiplication of bacteria and fungisuch as Gram positive staphylococcus.

Zero complaints – the ultimate goal for hair contamination is attainable

500x magnification of human hair against fabric

A B

KleenCap NeckGuard withStayCool and antimicrobial technology.

Continued on page 12

12 International Food Hygiene — Volume 26 Number 2

a working shift due to the followingreasons:l The wearer scratching his/herhead, the frequency of which can beincreased where workers are hotdue to either the ambient tempera-

ture, higher levels of work activity ordiscomfort from inappropriate headcoverings themselves.l General movement during thework activity.l Whether standing or seated thehead is usually tilted down towardsthe work activity increasing theexposure of shed or damaged hairfrom the crown due to gravity.l The abrasion of any head cover-ing over hairs that are not lying flat.

It is therefore no surprise that hairis potentially a significant contami-nant of food.

A microbial threat?

Whilst it is known that the scalp canbe a haven for bacteria (especiallythe relatively harmless MalassezFurfur (Pityrosporum Ovale),Professor Stevens is unable to elimi-nate hair-shafts as disease carriers

(Staphylococcus aureus). However,hand contact with the scalp duringfood production is probably morelikely to act as a carrier thereforecomplete head hair covering is rec-ommended.

“I cannot ignore the potential forcontamination via beard hair as thiscan be an involuntary target of touchby infrequently washed hands.Covering the beard with net istherefore a wise precaution,”Professor Stevens added.

“Food production personnel caneffectively prevent scalp hair conta-mination through the wearing ofHairTite HygieNets and KleenCap-Max, with HairBarrier products suchas Neck Shield – which can be wornin multiple ways to cover beard, faceand nasal hair as desired, or BeardShield, or KleenCap-Max NeckGuard (covering scalp and beardhair) if new each day or cleansedwith HairGon after a single day’s

wear to remove any residual hair-shafts caught in the material.

“However eyebrow, eyelid, earand facial hair cannot be ignored –their prevention is more problem-atic.”

ABurnet’s new KleenCap Max isavailable with antimicrobial propri-eties. The product has been testedto inhibit the growth of both Grampositive and Gram negative bacteriaMRSA and E. coli with 99.9% effec-tiveness after 15 washes in HairGon– the advanced formula wash addi-tive that has been tested by theUniversity of Bolton, England, todissolve residual hairs during thewash.

KleenCap-Max, with antimicrobial,HairBarrier and StayCool technolo-gies, has been independently testedas being both effective at containingshed and damaged hairs, keepingstaff cool and comfortable and beingcost effective in use. n

University ofBolton findings

Additional haircontainment technology

Optional anti-microbial technology

Outerhead covering

Actualav. quantityprotrudinghairs per use

Factoredav. quantityprotrudinghairs per use

Haircontainmentimprovement

factor

Short hairprotrudingover long

hair multiplier

HairTite HairBarrier StayCool HairTite KleenCap

Under covering = None

12gsm mob cap 74* 85 0.0 2.3 7 7 7 7 7

KleenCap Standard 35 35 2.4 2.0 7 3 7 7 7

Under covering = HairTite Standard

12gsm mob cap 21 21 4.0 1.6 3 7 7 3 7


Under covering = HairTite HiCare

12gsm mob cap 15 15 5.7 1.8 33 7 7 3 7


Under covering = HairTite Standard

KleenCap Max 11 11 7.7 1.6 3 33 3 3 3

Under covering = HairTite HiCare

KleenCap Max 8 8 10.6 1.6 33 33 3 3 3

* Where mob caps ballooned away from the head, protruding hairs could not be accurately counted. The University therefore factored the figure to account for the percentage of the head zones where the mob cap ballooned away from the head.

Table 1. Research into different head coverings undertaken by the University of Bolton, England, found marked differences in performance.

KleenCap Max with StayCooland antimicrobial technology.


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International Food Hygiene— Volume 26 Number 2 13

by Juliane Henze, HeraeusNoblelight GmbH, Germany.

The use of high energy UV lightreduces the germ load onpackaging surfaces by up to

99.9%. This clearly prolongs theshelf life of foods such as yoghurt,curd or milk. Just a few seconds ofthe intensive, yet cold, light isenough to dispose of micro-organ-isms such as bacteria, yeast andfungi. Compared to chemical andthermal methods, UV light radiationtreatment is a very reliable, eco-nomic and, above all, environmen-tally friendly method and henceespecially suitable for the processingof organic products.

Disinfection with UV

In general, the method used toremove bacteria from packagingmaterials is disinfection, not sterilisa-tion: Ultraviolet light at wavelengthsof 254 nanometer (nm) is moreenergy rich than the terrestrial UVlight of the sun. This especially short wave UV light

destroys the DNA of all micro-organisms. When installed purpose-fully, viruses are disabled in secondsand micro-organisms such as bacte-ria, yeasts and fungi are killed in anenvironmentally friendly manner,without the addition of chemicals.For a whole series of micro-organ-

isms, the lethal dose of UV radiationis known and this is the dose afterwhich the cells can no longer main-tain their metabolism and can alsono longer multiply. Because of the

cell wall structure, the lethal dosefor different pathogens is distinctlyhigh. Consequently, bacteria such assalmonella and coli bacteria, whichhave a comparatively thin cell walland can thus only slightly block theUV radiation, are extremely vulnera-ble and are very quickly destroyed. By contrast, mould spores, such as

of Aspergillus niger, have a thickercell wall, which may even have pig-ments, to protect them against UVradiation. Killing them requires 10 to100 times the UV dose needed forbacteria. As an alternative, it isadvisable to use a combination ofUV radiation following the action ofa diluted hydrogen peroxide solu-tion (1-3%). This combined methodachieves an efficient and broad ger-micidal effect.

The lethal UV dose

The necessary UV dose is calculatedby multiplying the irradiation power(intensity) of the UV lamp by thelength of time that irradiation takesplace. The intensity of the radiationis also dependent on the distancebetween the UV module and thepackaging. The UV intensity of alamp decreases with the increase inoperating hours. At the end of thelamp operating life there must stillbe sufficient high UV intensity toensure a suitable disinfection powerand the necessary lethal dose in thegiven radiation time.Experience with yoghurt filling for

example has shown that pots of adepth of 150 millimeters (mm) canbe effectively disinfected within four

seconds and sealing foils in two sec-onds at the same intensity.UV disinfection is used primarily

for surfaces of package materials incontact with fresh milk productswhich are stored in the cold chain,such as yoghurt or kefir, to extendtheir shelf life. This means that thedairy has significantly fewer returnsof spoiled product, saving time,effort and cost of disposal.

Remove up to 99.9% germs

Even more intensively and reliably,the Heraeus Premium UV systemsreduce the number of germs on thesurface. The latest powerful systemshave been developed especially forUV disinfection in the food industry.They remove up to 99.9% of germs.This is proved by the report of the

Fraunhofer-Institute for ProcessEngineering and Packaging, Freising,Germany. According to a method of the

association VDMA, Frauhofer hastested the efficiency of the deconta-mination by using Premium UV sys-tems against certain micro-organisms(conidiospores of Aspergillus niger,endospores of Bacillus subtilis).During this count reduction testthree respectively five log levels havebeen achieved within a distance of20mm. The use of a novel lamps technol-

ogy enables high intensities and asubstantially longer service life. Theuse of just one UV module reducesthe expenditure for servicing andassociated costs. The short exposure times also

contribute to reducing operatingcosts. Depending on the material,between two and four seconds aresufficient for the disinfectionprocess.The UV lamp is virtually the only

consumable necessary. It has a ser-vice life of up to 12,000 operatinghours which is equal to two years ofactual use at 24 hours of operationper day. During that time, thePremium UV system can disinfectabout 173 million cups on a machinewith eight lanes. This means aninvestment of just €0.03 cents percup, a lot less than €0.1 cent.

Easy handling – high safety

In addition to the economic benefits,the Premium UV systems featureeasy installation and operation. Thesystems can simply be installed orretrofitted to existing filling and seal-ing plants. Due to the integration into the

respective HACCP concept, thequartz glass plate, the temperatureand the emitter function can bemonitored automatically. The quartzglass covers of the UV modules areprovided with a breakage detectorpatented by Heraeus and thus partof the HACCP concept. If a quartz glass plate breaks, the

detector sends a signal to stop thefilling plant immediately. The type ofprotection of the Premium UV sys-tem is IP67, so it can also be usedwithout restriction in wet environ-ments of a Cleaning In Place (CIP)machine.

Disinfection of packagingwith high intensity, cold anddry UV light

The new Premium UV system is now even more powerful and safer –with acquisition costs of less than €0.1 cent per disinfected yoghurtcup.

To make yoghurt non-perishable: within seconds, packaging surfaces(here: foils) are reliably disinfected with intensive UV light, without theuse of chemicals.


14 International Food Hygiene— Volume 26 Number 2

Translucent plastic doors, forexample made of Makrolon, are suf-ficient to provide protection againstthe radiation. Electronic control unit and ventila-

tion are combined in a new controlmodule to make retrofitting evenmore easy and reduce the spacerequirement. Based on the modulardesign principle, 1-3 UV modulescan be operated with one controlmodule. Expensive water cooling isnot used as the Premium UV sys-tems are cooled with air. The venti-

lation provided by one control mod-ule is sufficient to cool up to threeUV modules. The control module isstainless steel design and EMC-pro-tected (electromagnetic compatibil-ity) and can be operated anywherein the world at supply voltage fre-quencies of 50/60 Hz. The module has two 180-264 Volt

connection sockets. Premium UVsystems are equipped with an oper-ating hours counter and an on/offlamp signal to make the entire moni-toring process easier. As an option, the Premium UV

system may be equipped with apatented quick start solution. Thiswill reduce the warm-up time fromabout five minutes to 30 seconds, sothe filling process can start morerapidly.

High intensity, yet cold

Due to their slim shape, PremiumUV systems are used in particular todisinfect packaging materials in in-line filling machines with 4-12 rowsof cups. As a standard, the newPremium UV systems are available in

three sizes but they may also beadjusted especially to the machineenvironment. Although the UVmodules generate a high irradiance,the UV light is cold. Therefore, thepackaging material is not heated.This makes the disinfection methodperfectly suited for the treatment ofheat sensitive materials such as plas-tic cups and sealing foils. Taking account of various dimen-

sioning criteria and with a sufficienthigh irradiance, UV disinfection isused as a simple, fast and reliablemethod in continuous operation infilling plants. n

Fig. 1. The wavelength spectrum of a Premium UV lamp (blue) at254nm and the spectrum of activity of the inactivation of micro-organisms (black). With a combined method of UV light following the action of a weak

hydrogen peroxide solution, even mould germs resistant to radiationcan be inactivated on packaging surfaces.

200 220 240 260 280 300 320

1.0

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0.0

UV perform

ance (%)

Wavelength (nm)


http://www.bta-bcn.com


controlling contaminants

Whether you are looking to investin a new metal detector or upgradean existing system, managing direc-tor of Fortress Technology, SarahKetchin, suggests:l Do not overlook testing proce-dures and record keeping. Rundetection and rejection of test sam-ples on an hourly basis, at the begin-ning of a product run or at ashift change, andwhenever any set-tings areupdated orchanged(always checkthe industrystandardsand auditing require-ments for testing frequency and pro-cedure).l Ask about signal strength.Detector sensitivity is dependent onmany factors: aperture size, operat-ing frequency, product speed andenvironment. Most limiting is in factconductive (wet) products which actlike metal. Fortress Technology’snew FM software effectively analysesand processes the signal from theproduct, resulting in a 40% sensitiv-

ity improvement when inspectingchallenging products.l Consider installing metal detec-tors at specific checkpoints along themanufacturing process. Leaving ituntil the end of the production linecould result in high levels of falserejects and unnecessary disposal of

good product and packaging. l Auto-assessments areespecially useful whensystem access andpositioning or envi-ronmental condi-tions hinder testing.

Automated Halo test-ing technology is designed

to swiftly alert machine operatorsto a potential problem, without thecost of additional personnel. l Foil challenges. Generally speak-ing, metal detectors are capable ofphasing out and running productspackaged in laminate foils with agood level of sensitivity. However,pure aluminium foil, i.e. an ovenready tray, may be too challengingand a ferrous in foil detector wouldbe recommended. sales-uk@b

fortresstechnology.com

Metal detection: a buyer’s guide top tips

Since 2012, the EU has rejected atotal of 86 consignments of spiceswhich have been tested at borderinspection posts and found to con-tain levels of either aflatoxin orochratoxin, which have exceededregulatory limits. In total, 15 different countrieswere involved in these rejections forpaprika, nutmeg, black pepper, garlicpowder, ginger, curry powder,turmeric and liquorice, all havingunacceptable levels of these twomycotoxins.Spices are high value commodities,therefore rejections have severefinancial implications for theexporters, who have to bear thecosts. However, these rejectionscan be avoided if spices are sampledand analysed strictly following EUregulations before exporting. Commission Regulation (EU) No.165/2010 sets limits of 5µg/kg foraflatoxin B1 and 10µg/kg for totalaflatoxins in spices. CommissionRegulation (EU) No. 105/2010 sets

a limit of 15µg/kg for ochratoxin inspices, and a limit of 20µg/kg forliquorice.Methods of analysis for aflatoxinsand ochratoxin in spices havereceived less attention than otherfoodstuffs. Although methods havebeen published and single laboratoryvalidation conducted, there are noofficial methods in place for spices.

Spices are complex matrices andgood sample clean-up as providedby an immunoaffinity column isessential prior to HPLC or LC-MS/MS determination.Immunoaffinity columns such as R-Biopharm Rhone Ltd’s AflaochraPrep have been successfully used forsimultaneous analysis of both afla-toxin and ochratoxin A, in a widevariety of spices. A strong EU focus will remain onmycotoxins in spices and collabora-tive studies leading to new officialmethods are [email protected]

Simultaneous analysis ofmycotoxins in spices

Pest-intel, the intelligent pest man-agement system from Mitie, givesfood manufacturers and the foodservice industry total control overpest risk. Pest-intel provides onlineaccess to real-time data, enablingmanagers to assess pest risk acrossmultiple sites. A performance dash-board shows historical trending of

pest activity and gives instant report-ing of pest control activities. “Our intuitive system makes iteasy to keep track of inspections,actions and recommendations, with-out needing to travel in person tolocations. Our technology isdesigned for progressive customersto gain control of their pest manage-ment systems, whilst saving time onmaintenance and reporting,” saidmanaging director of Mitie’s pestcontrol services, Peter Trotman.Pest-intel works seamlessly withreal-time monitoring system eMitter,a UK exclusive product, which sendsan instant alert with the preciselocation of a trapped rodent to pest-intel, enabling a rapid response. [email protected]

Intelligent pest management system

Contaminants are the substancesthat have not been intentionallyadded to the product. These sub-stances may be present as a result ofthe various stages of its production,packaging, transport or holding.They may also result fromenvironmental or biologicalcontamination. Since conta-mination generally has anegative impact on the qual-ity of the product and mayimply a risk to humanhealth, the EU has takenmeasures to minimise cont-aminants in foodstuffs.Bioquell offers a preventa-tive solution to biologicalcontaminants. Routine bio-quelling is designed to pro-vide confidence thatfacilities have been effi-ciently and effectively bio-decontaminated.Whether undertaken in an individ-

ual room (machinery/equipmentcould be wheeled into a specificallyprepared area), an entire building oreven across the entire site, the ser-vice is carried out quickly.Pre-agreed timescales can help

ensure that a rapid returnto service is achieved. Theprocess delivers a univer-sally recognised standard of6-log reduction in environ-mental bioburden includingbacteria, viruses and fungi. The Hydrogen PeroxideVapour (HPV) decontami-nation process is a highlevel way to disinfect allsurfaces within an enclosedarea. Bioquelling is suitable forGMP regulated, or nonregulated areas, includingfood manufacturing/pro-

cessing facilities and [email protected]

Preventative solution tobiological contaminants








With the recent UK recall forground cumin issued by the FoodStandards Agency (FSA) due to thediscovery of undeclared peanut pro-tein, the issue of adulteration of thesupply chain is once again to thefore.The adulteration of cumin withboth peanut and almond has beenreported as wide-spread in theUSA andCanada wheretesting hasuncoveredhigh levels ofallergenicprotein. To pro-tect the brands of suppliers and processers, and tocrucially protect allergic consumers,testing is a viable option.Neogen’s AOAC-approvedVeratox ELISA test for PeanutAllergen has been validated todetect and fully quantify peanutresidues in cumin in around 30 min-utes, perfect for both laboratoriesand large food manufacturers.

Neogen also offers the Alert forPeanut microwell test, whichscreens samples at 5ppm and isbased on the same technology asVeratox, but is simpler to run. Bothtesting solutions are also availablefor the detection of almonds.For companies who do not useon-site testing or are looking for fur-

ther analysis,Neogen also offersa rapid externaltesting service at itsaccredited labora-tory in Ayr,Scotland. Neogen

offers a range of turn-around times ranging

from same day expressanalysis through to three, five or 10day turnarounds depending on yourtime scales. Neogen’s food allergen testingproducts have been developed inclose cooperation with theUniversity of Nebraska’s FoodAllergy Research and [email protected]

Testing solutions for spice blend contamination

Polypropylene, polyethylene andpolyurethane are examples of foodgrade plastics that are widely used infood and drink manufacturing envi-ronments. These materials are safe,cost effective, easy to clean, durableand can be brightly coloured to con-trast with food. So what’s the prob-lem with them you ask?The problem is that every yearthere are several high profile prod-uct recalls due to plastics contami-nating food. Plastic will not getpicked up by a metal detectorand is not dense enough to bespotted by x-ray. Your factory could be oneunfortunate incident awayfrom a major recall, majorexpense, and even worse –consumer danger.BRC, SQF and supermarketauditors are placing moreemphasis than ever before onplastic items at high risk ofcausing product contamination.Metal detectable and x-ray visi-

ble plastics have been on the marketsince they were first developed byBST in the late 1980s, now they arescientifically engineered to be evenmore detectable, highly durable,bright, colour coded and EU migra-tion tested.So if you are aware of high riskitems in your process – not onlypens, but seals, gaskets and bespokemachine parts – you can source aBST Detectable [email protected]

Controlling plasticcontaminants

Food contaminants come from twosources – material introduced duringthe manufacturing process andmaterials introduced from the rawmaterials used in the manufacturingprocess. Contaminants in raw materials canbe introduced into the processfrom:l The way they are handled, storedand transported to prevent crosscontamination or the introduction ofundesirable materials.l From where they are sourcedsuch as heavy metals or organiccompounds absorbed from the envi-ronment where the food is grown.Such substances can be classifiedas to their toxicity persistence andbioaccumulation as they becomemore concentrated as they proceedup the food chain.

During the manufacturing processfood can become contaminated dueto cross contamination from otherfoods previously processed with thesame equipment, from the equip-ment itself due to poor mainte-nance, or from the substances usedto clean the equipment.Manufacturers have a HACCP(Hazard Analysis and CriticalControl Point) system that helpsfood business operators look athow they handle food and intro-duces procedures to make sure thefood produced is safe to eat.This, along with policies to sourcematerials from reputable sourcesand the support of testing laborato-ries, such as ILS Ltd, ensure thatonly the purest ingredients are usedthat are fit for [email protected]

Laboratory testing toensure ingredient safety

Faerch Plast has launched theworld’s first ovenable CPET skinpack. Offering significant hygienebenefits, this latest innovation allowsthe consumer to place the productdirectly into the oven or microwavewithout removing any of the imme-diate packaging or having to touchthe raw food. This lightweight packoffers significant barrier and strengthproperties – delivering major bene-fits for processor, retailer and con-sumer. As well as the meat being safelyand easily oven or microwavecooked directly from the freezer orrefrigerator without being openedand extending shelf life, the ovenableskin packs are expected to helpreduce the risk of contamination,

such as from campylobacter, asthere is no need for the consumerto handle the raw food.The meat or poultry is heldsecurely in place for display whichgreatly enhances on-shelf impact.The ovenable skin packs can also beshown side-on for increased appeal. Consumers often complain about‘off-odours’ when removing lidsfrom traditional MAP packs. Withthese new ovenable skin packs, anyodours are transformed during thecooking process into the aroma ofjust cooked foods. All moisture and juices areretained during cooking ensuring atasty and succulent product straightfrom the [email protected]

World’s first ovenable skin packs






Mettler-Toledo Safeline X-ray hascontinued to develop its innovativerange of next generation x-ray sys-tems by designing the new X37Series for reliable product inspectionin the food industry.The x-ray inspection system is ableto detect contaminants such as glass,metal, calcified bone and high den-sity plastics in tall, rigid packagingapplications such as can, cartons andplastic containers. It can be configured with differentdetector sensitivity options sup-ported by a range of power genera-tors. These smartly designedengineering features enable manu-facturers to reduce total cost ofownership and comply with foodsafety regulations, whilst preservingthe highest quality products. The machine can be installed ontoexisting customer lines, allowingmanufacturers to maintain highvolume pro-duction tar-gets. To ensureproductintegrity,the systemis capable ofsimultane-ously per-forming arange of addi-tional qualitychecks suchas fill level

inspection, measuring head space,detecting missing caps on containersand packaging defects.To provide full flexibility to suitmanufacturers’ needs, the X37Series comprises three systems –X3710 / X3720 / X3730 – offeringa choice of detectors, x-ray genera-tors and single or split-beam capabil-ity. This allows manufacturers toselect an x-ray system to meet theirspecific product inspection needs. In addition, the X37 Series helpsfood manufacturers to monitor criti-cal control points, in accordancewith the requirements of food safetyregulations, such as the newly intro-duced British Retail ConsortiumGlobal Standards Version [email protected]

Innovative range offershigher detection rates

The Thermo Scientific SureTectReal-Time PCR System can help youto control contaminants confidently.Built on proven PCR technology, it isdesigned to quickly and accuratelydetect micro-organisms in a broadrange of foods and environmentalsamples. Combining speed and perfor-mance in an easy to use, cost effec-tive platform – the system gives youresults you can be sure about. l Fast results – quick turnaroundtimes ensure cost efficient opera-tions.l Ready-to-use reagents – conve-nient format, ease of use and consis-tent quality.l Single enrichment step – faster,simpler testing.

l One PCR protocol – test for mul-tiple pathogen targets in one run formaximum efficiency.l Internal amplification control –confidence in each individual result.l Powerful software – intuitive,automatic result interpretation;operates up to five units.l Experienced support – one part-ner for all orders, technical serviceand support.Extensively tested on a wide rangeof food matrices, the SureTect PCRAssays continue to grow in rangeand global accreditation. Tests for Salmonella spp., Listeriaspp., Listeria monocytogenes and E.coli O157:H7 have been grantedAOAC-RI Performance TestedMethodsSM status and in addition, thesalmonella and listeria tests have NFvalidation certificates granted byAFNOR Certification.cheryl.mooney@b

thermofisher.com

Complete confidence – run after run

Identification of an unknown speciesthat you may have encountered canhelp to assess whether your conta-mination poses a safety or spoilageconcern.The identification of micro-organ-isms causing spoilage is of majorimportance, but sometimes youneed to know more, includingwhere a contaminant came from.Many organisms occupy a diverserange of habitats. The only way ofknowing the origins of a particularcontaminant is to characterise it to aspecific strain and then match thatwith a strain elsewhere in the envi-ronment.BaseClear is experienced and spe-cialised in molecular microbiology.Their microbiology department is a

well equipped facility with a com-plete range of reliable and validatedtest systems for identification andstrain typing of bacteria and fungi.The company can offer same dayidentifications so that you can getresults as fast as possible. BaseClearservices and solutions can help youprevent, for instance, long time fac-tory shutdown or product [email protected]

Identification and strain typing of contaminants

The new metal detectable digitalprocess timer from Detectamet is auseful food safe tool for processingand technical managers working inbusy food production companies. The timer is powered by oneAAA battery and featuresa large and easy to readLCD display to showthe running time inminutes and sec-onds. The user canset the timer to countdown or count up over apre-set period up to 99minutes. The timing period can beset in minutes and seconds using

four easy to use buttons. The timer‘announces’ the end of the setperiod with a loud beeping noise.The case is made fromDetectamet’s metal detectable poly-

mer and features both astrong magnet to attachthe timer to a suitablemetal surface and aflip out stand so it cansit on a suitable sur-face. It will fit intomost inside pockets.Detectamet’s new

detectable process timer isjust 68mm x [email protected]

Food process timer reducescontamination risks









Sealing is a critical control point infood security that is sometimes diffi-cult to master, so full inspection viavision systems, such as the innova-tive solutions offered by LuceoInspection Worldwide, tends to berequired on production lines. Tray or bag packaging conditionedin a modified atmosphere is becom-ing widespread in our daily life inresponse to our requirements forfreshness, extended shelf life or sim-ply practical considerations.

The sealing of this packaging guar-antees that it is hermetically sealedfrom the outside environment, irre-spective of the technology used tocreate it. This sealing is both anessential safeguard against healthrisks, but also a link exposed to par-ticular stresses throughout the prod-uct's life cycle (crating, transport,and shelving). The slightest sealingdefect is thus totally excluded as itcould impair the primary function ofthe packaging, namely to protect thefood from the plant to the plate.Unfortunately, industrial control of

this critical point is still relativelycomplex. Sealing defects generatedin the sealing zone can actually haveseveral causes: the main ones beingcontamination of the sealing surfaceduring filling and sealing tool drift,which generates folds, bubbles orpartial lack of sealant. These defectsexpose manufacturers to a dual risk:economic risk concerning the scrap-ping of whole batches if the processis not continuously controlled, butalso a brand image risk related to

the possible marketing of con-taminated or badly preservedproducts.To eradicate these risks,manufacturers must make theircontrol procedures more reli-able but also save and storetheir data to ensure perfecttraceability for the product.These requirements are dri-ving the development of fullcontrol of the manufactured

products that only vision inspectionsystems can perform at satisfactoryrates. However, manufacturers will cer-tainly not be happy with post-con-trol of their products for very longand will be looking for solutions toimprove control of their sealingprocess. This is why the visioninspection systems must go evenfurther in the future and interactupstream with the machines toenable real time self-checking of thesealing [email protected]

Sealing – a weak linkto food safety

For those laboratories looking toimplement higher levels of preven-tion of cross contamination andspread of infection to Cat 3 stan-dards, the latest C40 laboratorybenchtop autoclaves from Priorclaveare the ideal sterilisers.Models include both stan-dard and vac-uum designs,all availablewith a host ofoptions tomatch applica-tion criteria.One of thefirst modelsdeveloped forsuch stringent laboratoryrequirements is the C40 front-load-ing, vacuum laboratory autoclavewhich features short legs that sup-port a programme for improvedcleanliness and disinfection of thebench top by allowing easy accessbeneath the actual autoclave.Another added benefit of investing

in Priorclave benchtop autoclaves isthe Biomaster antimicrobial surfaceprotection given to all products.The Compact C40 vacuum auto-clave is a versatile wide format

benchtop autoclaveequipped with a 40litre front-loadingchamber and fea-tures pre-vac-uum andpost-vacuumcycles. These vacuumphases make theC40 autoclaveideal for sterilis-ing laboratorywaste, glassware

and instruments as well as porous orwrapped goods.Manufactured in the UK byPriorclave, they are available with anextended range of optional featuresnormally found only on much largersteam sterilisers. [email protected]

Latest benchtop autoclaveoffers ideal sterilisation

Food process controls provide thedependability and reliability foodtesting laboratories need to meetthe requirements of their QC pro-

grams and ensure the health of con-sumers. Microbiologics’ EZ-FPC lyophilisedQC micro-organism preparationsare used as daily process controlsfor qualitative and quantitativedetection methods. Qualitative EZ-FPC micro-organ-ism preparations provide a guaran-teed concentration of 102 CFU perpellet for presence/absence testing.Quantitative EZ-FPC micro-organ-ism preparations provide a guaran-teed concentration of 103 CFU perpellet for quantitative test methods. [email protected]

Controls for qualitative andquantitative detection

Meritech offers a complete line offully-automated handwashing andboot scrubbing machines that pro-vide the only technology-basedapproach to employee hygiene inthe world. Their line of CleanTechfully automated hand-washing systems per-form a 12-second washand rinse cycle, remov-ing 99.98% of danger-ous pathogens,exceeding SQF, BRCand cGMP standardsand preventing crosscontamination.Models range fromcompact and industrialwall-mount systems, tofree-standing and fullyself-cleaning models,all of which guaran-tee a high qualityhandwash.Meritech’s MBW line of bootscrubbing and sanitising machinesaddress the need for more effectivefootwear hygiene programs in food

production environments. Yourcaptive footwear program can beimproved with the MBW soles onlymodel; or ensure the soles and sidesof boots are scrubbed with theMBW 3000 or 9000; or removepathogens and particles from theentire surface of boots with the highvolume XBW 3.0 model. [email protected]

Complete line of hand andboot sanitising equipment







demountable design for easy clean-ing; low profile design; built-in ASU(Air Service Unit); a magneticallycoded cut-out switch; and a high pol-ished surface finish (0.76µm Ra. Min.)GEA rotary magnets are designedand manufactured to meet the strictdairy guidelines of USDA andEHEDG standard (EuropeanHygienic & Design Group); and con-form with ATEX Class 2 Category 3

Zone 22Electricsrequire-ments.Typical

applicationsincludedetection offerrousmaterial inthe early

stage of powder handling, (at the tip-ping phase) and also at the final stageof powder handling, before finishedproduct packing (under gassing hop-per). The rotating action of the mag-nets also breaks up lumps andcohesive materials to ensure an evenflow through the system.Installations currently using theolder 8-bar design can be upgradedto the new 12-bar magnets easily [email protected]

New rotary magnet catchesmore ferrous material

GEA has recently launched its newdemountable rotary magnet for usein powdered food and dairy applica-tions such as milk powders, infantformula, nutritional powders, sugar,cocoa powder, beverage powdersand food ingredients. The magnetsare designed to remove fragmentsof ferrous metals and work hard-ened stainless steel contaminantsthat would otherwise contaminatethe product. The new 12-bar design, featur-ing many improve-ments over theprevious 8-bar ver-sion, has been devel-oped in closecooperation with oneof the world’s leadingmanufacturers of pow-dered infant formula and inassociation with the AucklandUniversity of Technology. It uses the highest quality rareearth Neodymium magnets N52 toprovide a direct product strength inexcess of 10,500 gauss. Thisremoves ferrous material moreeffectively without any increase incost. The units can be demountedby hand and are much easier toclean than previous models.New features include: tool-freedisassembly for inspection; hand

The Pure Hold Hygiene Handle isone of the most effective productsin the food market for guaranteeinghand hygiene. Its specialist conceptboth actively sanitises hands andensures the doors on entrances tosensitive areas and exits from toilet

facilities remain uncontaminated.With a simple yet effective design,the Hygiene Handle ensures fullhand hygiene compliance as sanitis-ing gel is dispensed onto the usershand upon grip through its intelli-gent, tailored delivery system. The Hygiene Handle offsets therisks associated with employeesneglecting to wash their hands bypreventing the spread of germs oncontaminated handle surfaces. It alsoacts as an effective safety barrier forentrances to sensitive food handlingareas. In addition to the clear benefits ofensuring a hygienic workplace forfood production or processing theHygiene Handle also has tangiblefinancial benefits for employers. TheChartered Institute of Personnel andDevelopment (CIPD) estimate thatsickness absences cost 6.4 days peremployee per year. [email protected]

Keeping a handle on effective hand hygiene

Best Sanitizers Inc has introducedfood processors to the future offootwear sanitation by adding theHACCP SmartStep FootwearSanitizing System to their line offootwear sanitisers. The HACCP SmartStep joins theHACCP Defender Walk ThroughAutomatic Boot Sanitizing Station tostop cross-contamination through-out the entire facility.Both units use an atomised mist ofAlpet D2 Surface Sanitizer to satu-rate employee's footwear solesbefore entering critical controlareas. The walk-through design ofthe HACCP Defender is ideal forhigh traffic areas, while the compactfootprint of the HACCP SmartStepallows placement in multiple loca-tions. Since 1995, Best Sanitizers hasprovided food processors with thehighest quality products and sup-port available. Their line of handsoaps, hand sanitisers, surfacesanitisers, and dispensing systemsmeet the demanding requirementsof the industry. Best Sanitizers wasthe first company to achieve an E3rating for an alcohol-based hand

sanitiser and the first to achieve aD2 rating for an alcohol/quat-basedsurface sanitiser.Their Alpet D2 Surface Sanitizer/Disinfectant, Alpet E3 Plus HandSanitizer Spray, Alpet Q E2 andAlpet E2 Sanitizing Foam Soaps arefound in over 8,000 food processingplants in the USA and [email protected]

Sanitising solutions meetfood industry demands

Government agencies around theworld are focusing their attention onreducing the incidence of campy-lobacter in raw meat, particularlypoultry. The Food Standards Agencyhave issued public warnings andadvice on handling raw poultry.Campylobacter is now the largestcause of bacterial food poisoning inthe western world that can causesevere illness, hospitalisation andeven death. Experts say that thebacteria are not difficult to kill butcross contamination is the much big-ger problem. There is no magic bul-let to resolve the problem at source,so better cleaning and hygiene allalong the food chain is required tominimise the hazards.Detecting pathogens such ascampylobacter is a difficult, skilled

and expensive process giving resultsafter several days. However a newsimple rapid test – CrossCheckfrom Hygiena International Ltd –specifically measures the presence ofraw meat and fish residues givingresults in 2-5 minutes that can beused by anyone and anywhere. CrossCheck specifically measuresan enzyme that is present in rawmeat and fish. It is not a test for spe-cific bacteria. CrossCheck is a simplerapid method to measure thehygienic status of surfaces to assessthe hazards associated with crosscontamination. The enzyme mea-sured is destroyed by cooking sothat CrossCheck can also be usedon finished product to verify [email protected]

Monitoring pathogenhazards from raw meat







Hanovia’s PureLine PQ range of UVdisinfection systems is designedspecifically to provide validated andchemical-free treatment of processwater used in the dairy, food andbeverage industries. PureLine PQ provides a time andcost effective alternative to standardpasteurisation – it also meets the USFood and Drug Administration’s2011 Pasteurised Milk Ordinanceguidelines. PureLine PQ uses eitherlow pressure high output or mediumpressure lamps to safely disinfectwater passing through the system,exposing it to UV light and deacti-vating any micro-organisms present.All systems feature an automaticwiper to automate optical pathmaintenance, further reducing oper-ating expenses.

The Dairy Plus Co Ltd. in Thailandhas recently replaced its chlorinebased disinfection system with fivePureLine PQ UV systems. Two units disinfect clean-in-place(CIP) water and two are used fortreating dairy mixing water, witheach system treating up to 130m3/hour of water.Dairy Plus decided to reduce highlevels of chlorine dosage throughoutthe process because it was provingineffective at removing all micro-organisms. It was also producing an after-tastein the product. Since installing UVthe frequency of CIP procedures hasbeen dramatically reduced, meaningless down-time of the [email protected]

Economic alternative for dairy pasteurisation

Under USDA regulation, E. coliserogroups O26, O103, O45,O111, O121 and O145, also com-monly referred to as the ‘Big 6 E.coli’, are prohibited from rawground beef, its components, andtenderised steaks. Testing laboratories need positivecontrols to validate, verify and moni-tor their methods, materials andequipment used to detect contami-nation of STEC strains.Microbiologics is the first companyto offer the ‘Big 6 E. coli’ strains inready-to-use, convenient formatsfor quality control testing. Their Epower and KWIK STIK for-

mats provide accurate results forqualitative and quantitative testing. [email protected]

Quality control testing to identify the ‘Big 6’

Bio-Check (UK) are offering a spe-cialist test kit capability (ISO9001approved system) for meat speciesidentification and food allergendetection based on a wide range oftechnologies including:FlowThrough, ELISA and PCR. Thefood industry has a heightened inter-est in improving their testing sincepublication of the Elliott Review FinalReport and the latest BRC GlobalStandard for Food Safety, Issue 7.The Elliott Report recommenda-tions included a zero tolerance tofood crime by Government, forexample encouraging industry toconduct sampling and testing at allstages of the supply chain. The newissue of BRC Standard includes theneed to perform a food fraud vul-nerability assessment and have acontrol plan in place. Bio-Check’smany years’ experience in relatedareas of analysis enables it to adviseindustry on the best choice of meth-ods. Their FlowThrough onsite tests

for raw meat species and food aller-gen identification can be performedwithin 12 minutes; whereas in thelaboratory their ELISA and PCRmethods will also detect at levelsthat are appropriate for most con-trol plans, depending upon the sam-ple type. For example, itsAllergen-Check ELISAs includethose for detecting almond andpeanut in unlabelled foods at [email protected]

Identifying whether contamination or threat

Cans, jars and bottles of all shapesand materials are common packag-ing in the food industry around theworld. Ensuring food safety for thesetypes of products can be challeng-ing.Eagle ProductInspection, a world-classmanufacturer of productinspection and qualityassurance solutionshas developed an x-rayinspection systemdesigned specificallyto detect contami-nants in these types oftall, rigid containers.The Tall PRO XSDV,a dual view x-rayinspection system idealfor the inspection of cans,glass jars, pouches, andbottles, has a single x-raygenerator that produces two beams,which analyses and processes twoimages per container.It is capable of detecting glass,metal, stones, calcified bone, highdensity plastics and rubber contami-nants up to 50% smaller than tradi-

tional machines, ensuring productsafety. It is ideal for customers withlimited factory floor space due to itsslim-line profile and small footprint,the system maximises efficiency bybeing able to inspect for packaging

defects such as damagedpacks and seal integrity,plus check fill levels, massmeasurement and compo-nent counts. The benefits of x-rayinspection technology areplentiful: product andbrand protection,increased top line bene-fits by adherence to foodsafety principles such asHazard Analysis Critical

Control Point and compli-ance with regulations includ-ing British RetailConsortium Standards V7

and International FeaturedStandards V6 (IFS) which enablesmanufacturers access to trade withnew suppliers; and bottom-line sav-ings by reducing product giveawayand being able to rework [email protected]

Detecting contaminants in tall, rigid containers






To ensure hand washing best prac-tice is encouraged, Initial WashroomHygiene has created Signature No-Touch soap and No-Touch Ultra-Protect hand sanitiser dispensers aswell as an UltraProtect stand. No-Touch provides a comfortableuser experience as the user doesnot have to make contact with theproducts in order to operate them,thereby greatly reducing the risk ofcross-contamination. A sensor auto-matically senses the hands and apalm LED then delivers accurate dis-pensing of the soap or hand sani-tiser. UltraProtect is a powerful handsanitiser killing 99.99% of bacteriaincluding swine flu (H1N1), MRSA,E. coli and salmonella, but is alsoalcohol-free, and so is gentle in thatit does not dry out skin. Dispensing

UltraProtect in building entrances,queues and busy open spaces cannow be facilitated by free-standingdispensers, mounted on a purposebuilt backboard. “We understand the importanceof preventing cross-contaminationwith good hand hygiene and thisshould start in the washroom,” DrPeter Barratt, technical manager,Initial Washroom Hygiene, com-mented. “Research has shown thatonly 20% of those who do washtheir hands use soap, and we knowthat manually-operated soap dis-pensers can be a barrier to washinghands. No-Touch and antimicrobialtechnology are a powerful combina-tion against microbial cross-contami-nation.”iws-pressenquiries-uk@b

rentokil-initial.com

Automatic sensors offeraccurate dispensing

Effective environmental hygienemanagement helps to reduce levelsof contamination in finished prod-ucts, leading to improved quality,fewer batch rejections and lowerrisk of product recall. The 3M Clean-Trace HygieneMonitoring System helps to assessstandards of hygiene and cleaningprocedures by measuring theamount of adenoside tri-phosphate(ATP) in a sample. The Clean-Trace System offers arapid, simple and reliable solution tomonitor biological contamination onsurfaces and in water in real time,which, when combined with thepowerful 3M Clean-Trace DataTrending Software, makes quantita-tive analysis of surface and waterhygiene possible, allowing changesto be tracked and reported.The sensitivity and repeatability of

the Clean-Trace hygiene system giveyou confidence that the results provide a true picture of cleaningperformance allowing you to takesound action that can help protectyour customers, business [email protected]

Protect your customers,business and reputation

To feature your products

Contact: Claire Fussey or Emma Barton on +44 1377 241724


The potential for contamination orinfection from equipment in theworkplace has never been greater.To help combat this risk the com-plete range of Stuart scientific benchtop laboratory equipment offersantimicrobial protectionthrough the addition ofBiocote. During themanu-fac-ture

process the active agent silver isadded to every external componentof the Stuart product, providingeffective and long termantimicrobial pro-

tectionagainst a

wide range ofbacteria and fungi,

including Escherichiacoli and Salmonella enteri-

tidis. The Biocote finish inhibits the abil-ity of the bacteria to reproduceresulting in natural death after eighthours; this reduces the levels of bac-teria by over 99% during an eighthour period. This complete assurance of antimi-crobial protection makes Stuartequipment an ideal solution for foodsafety testing and screening proce-dures. Stuart offers a wide range of highthroughput equipment includinghandheld or laboratory scalehomogenisers, vortex mixers and arange of liquid handling [email protected]

Effective and long termantimicrobial protection

The Colifast ALARM is an auto-mated on-line monitor for detectionof E. coli or coliform bacteria inwater. Waterworks use the monitoras a labour reducing, rapid and reli-able test for the hygienic quality ofdrinking water both during produc-tion and in the distribution system. This spring, the water works IVAR

IKS will acquire its second ColifastALARM that will be installed inStavanger, Norway at a critical nodein the distribution system that sup-plies water to some of the country’slargest food and beverage compa-nies. The waterworks operates themain distribution lines to this area,and will now get daily results thatconfirm the quality of the deliveredwater. Traditional methods do not cap-ture smaller incidents or short-livedchanges in the quality due to lowsampling frequency and by the timethe water sample has been analysed,large amounts of the water hasalready been used by the industry. The analysis is completed in 6-14/15 hours instead of the 18-72hours used by the traditional methods and it will detect one bacterium/100 ml. The Colifast ALARM is verified bythe US EPA ETV [email protected]

Controlling indicator bacteria in water






The most successful food producersunderstand the fundamental need foraccurate information and control to ensurethe safe production of food. It is importantto use the best instruments to measurecritical data upon which importantdecisions will be made. This page isdesigned to help you find the rightinstruments from reliable sources.

This feature appears in the March andSeptember issues of International FoodHygiene. Find out how to be listed andenjoy the benefit of being seen by at least15,000 food company managers.

Call Emma BartonTel: +44 1377 241724 or Email: [email protected]

Please mention International Food Hygiene when responding to any of the companies listed in this feature

Temperature recordingRemonsys Ltd The Stables, Church Hanborough,Witney, Oxford OX29 8AB, UK.Tel: +44 1993 886996 Email: [email protected]: www.remonsys.com

MULTiLOG2 temperature monitoringdirectly connected to a PC withautomatic download of data to disc,audible alarms and SMS messaging out-of-hours.

Rapid food safety tests

Hygiena International Ltd

Unit E, 3 Regal Way, Watford,Hertfordshire WD24 4YJ, UK.Tel: +44 1923 818821 Fax: +44 1923 818825Email: [email protected]: www.hygiena.net

Hygiena supplies a range of rapid tests tomeasure microbial content and surfacecleanliness that provides simplicity,convenience, high performance and costeffective solutions.

Hygiene monitoring

3M Health Care Ltd 3M House, Morley Street, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 1EP, UKTel: +44 1509 613859 Fax: +44 1509 613061Web: www.3m.co.uk/food safety

Be confident that the ATP results you getare accurate and repeatable. Use the triedand tested 3M Clean-Trace Surface ATPSystem.

Hygiene monitoring

Neogen Europe LtdThe Dairy School, Auchincruive, Ayr KA6 5HU, Scotland.Tel: +44 1292 525 600 Fax: +44 1292 525 601Email: [email protected]: www.neogeneurope.com

AccuPoint is the clear leader in the scienceof surface and water sanitation monitoring.Neogen’s unique sampler design allowsgreater sample precision and consistencythrough use of a large surface area samplepad.

Temperature monitoring

ETI Ltd

Easting Close, Worthing, West Sussex, BN14 8HQ, UK.Tel: +44 1903 202151 Fax: +44 1903 202445Email: [email protected]: www.etiltd.com

Specialists in the design and manufactureof temperature measuring equipment forover 30 years.

Data loggers

Gemini Data Loggers (Tinytag)Scientific House,Terminus Road, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 8UJ, UK.Tel: +44 1243 813000 Fax: +44 1243 531948Email: [email protected]: www.tinytag.info

UK manufacturers of Tinytags, selfcontained and battery operated dataloggers for monitoring temperature,humidity and other parameters inprocessing, storage and transportapplications for the food industry.


Data logger systems

T&D Corporation

European Sales Office,Gronauer Str. 1, 61194 Niddatal, Germany.Tel: +49 6034 930970 Email: [email protected]: www.tandd.com

Wireless and network connectedsolutions for monitoring all aspects offood preparation, transportation, storageand service. Data loggers safeguard goodsand processes and ensure error-freedocumentation.

http://www.tandd.de


http://www.neogeneurope.com


http://www.tinytag.info


http://www.3m.co.uk/foodsafety

http://www.etitld.com



http://www.remonsys.com

http://www.hygiena.net


http://www.positiveaction.info/library.php?keyword=Food



by Lisa Hughes, Randox FoodDiagnostics, 55 Diamond Road,Crumlin, Co. Antrim, BT29 4QY, UK.

Food consumers globally are becomingincreasingly discerning in selectingproduce to fill their fridges, cupboards

and, indeed, stomachs. Factors of choice aremoving beyond taste, appearance andnutritional content. Public awareness offood safety is highly sensitised andincreasingly proliferated through onlinenews and social media headlines and few areimmune.Familiarity in consumers of the issue ofantibiotic resistance linked to drug residuesin food is growing, and there is anexpectation for food producers to deal withit appropriately. The issues of mycotoxins infeed and feed components makes fewerheadlines but is no less a problem.The occurrence of contamination invarious grain crops is of growing concern asit has major implications for food and feedsafety, food security and international trade. Worldwide, it is estimated thatmycotoxins are responsible for losses of upto 5-10% of crop production, according to aEuropean Commission report.Contaminations are due to a series ofevents including weather conditions,possible climate change effects, land use,crop management as well as harvest,storage and processing techniques. Greaterawareness of the issue, together withimproved screening is key to effectivelycontrolling the incidence of mycotoxins infeed and food chains.

Why screen for mycotoxins?

So what are mycotoxins and why shouldfood producers screen for them?Mycotoxins are a group of naturallyoccurring metabolites produced by certainmoulds. They occur in a variety of differentcrops that are colonised with filamentousfungi and in food products contaminatedduring processing and storage. They canoccur on a range of food products includingcereals and grains, nuts, spices, dried fruits,apple juice and coffee and are mostprevalent in warm and humid conditions.

Consumption of mycotoxins can result insignificant adverse health effects in humansand animals and as a result, internationalfood standards recommend that foodproducers carry out screening formycotoxins. To protect consumers, atolerable daily intake (TDI) has beenestablished which estimates the quantity ofmycotoxin which someone can be exposedto daily over a lifetime without it posing asignificant risk to health.There are a range of mycotoxins which areof most concern from a food safetyperspective. These include the aflatoxins(B1, B2, G1, G2 and M1), Ochratoxin A andtoxins produced by Fusarium moulds,including fumonisins (B1, B2 and B3),trichothecenes (principally nivalenol,deoxynivalenol, T-2 and HT-2 toxin) andzearalenone.Aflatoxins, including aflatoxin B1 areconsidered the most toxic and can damageDNA and cause cancer in animal species.There is also evidence that they can causeliver cancer in humans. Other mycotoxinshave a range of other health effects includingkidney damage, gastrointestinaldisturbances, reproductive disorders orsuppression of the immune system. In order to protect consumer safety, rulesand strict legislative limits for aflatoxins,Ochratoxin A and Fusarium toxins in certainfoodstuffs are set out in EuropeanCommission legislation. The legislationapplies to the specified foods whether theyare imported into the UK or produced inthe UK. Globally, the requirement for mycotoxin

screening is varied. There are a number ofspecial import conditions currently in placefor some foods from certain third worldcountries (Africa in particular) where therisk from aflatoxin contamination isincreased, which further improvesconsumer protection.

Challenge for the food sector

Compliance with internationally acceptablelimits for mycotoxins (TDI) can bechallenging for the food industry, requiringgood plant protection, adequate storageand good manufacturing practices in orderto keep levels below the limits. Some crops are now being geneticallyengineered to detoxify mycotoxins in thefield. Genetically engineered micro-organisms producing purified enzymes candetoxify mycotoxins during storage andprocessing of raw materials in foodproduction.Advocates of such enzymaticdetoxification of mycotoxins argue that thisapproach uses generic technology to makefood healthier. However, there is aconsiderable lobby against geneticengineering of food therefore this may notbe an acceptable route for some foodproducers to take.How then can food producers tackle theissue of mycotoxins to ensure internationalfood safety standards are being met? A growing awareness of the issuessurrounding excessive mycotoxin

Table 1. BAT arrays allow fast, comprehensive and sensitive screening of all of theworld’s most prevalent mycotoxins in arrays of 10, 7 or 3 assays.


Successful screening technology for the effective control of mycotoxins

10 Residue biochip

Paxiline, Fumonisins, Ochratoxin A, Aflatoxin G1/G2, Aflatoxin B1/B2, Diacetoxyscirpenol, Deoxynivalenol (DON), T2 toxin, Zearalenone, Ergot alkaloids.

7 Residue biochip

Fumonisins, Ochratoxin A, Aflatoxin G1/G2, Aflatoxin B1/B2, Deoxynivalenol (DON),T2 toxin, Zearalenone

3 Residue biochip

Ochratoxin A, Aflatoxin G1/G2, Aflatoxin B1/B2


consumption has resulted in an increase inavailable screening technologies on themarket.

Unique technology

Randox Food Diagnostics offers a range ofmarket leading screening tools for thequalitative analysis of mycotoxins, using boththe unique patented Biochip ArrayTechnology (BAT) and high quality ELISAs. These cutting edge BAT arrays allow fast,comprehensive and sensitive screening of allof the world’s most prevalent mycotoxins inarrays of 10, 7 or 3 assays, as shown inTable 1. With a single 50µl sample of feedthe user will obtain highly accuratequantitative results in under two hours.Sample preparation is straightforward: addsolvent, vortex for 60 seconds and roll for10 minutes, centrifuge for 10 minutes thendilute, meaning the sample is ready fortesting within 20 minutes, with no need forimmunoaffinity columns. Using Randox BAT eliminates the need forcostly single tests, and lowers the cost persample, saving food testing laboratories timeand money. It provides laboratories with theflexibility to test only those mycotoxins ofconcern. This means that test assays can bespecified to screen for particular mycotoxinsdepending on factors such as storage or

harvest conditions. In external and internalstudies it is proven to deliver no falsenegatives and less than 5% false positives,with results showing close correlation toconfirmatory methods.Importantly, Randox participates inFAPAS, the largest and most comprehensiveanalytical chemistry proficiency testingscheme in the food sector; ensuring thatscreening methods are providing accuratetest results. The benefits of Randox BAT include:

l Straightforward screening for 10mycotoxins from a single sample.l Semi-quantitative results ready in undertwo hours.l No false negatives, less than 5% falsepositives in studies.l Confirms only the samples, saves money.l Robust and easy to use with simplesample preparation for a single feed sample.For laboratories using ELISA screening,Randox offers an extensive (and expanding)range of ELISAs for 26 residues in threeassays: Ergot Alkaloids, Aflatoxin M1 andAflatoxin B1, as shown in Table 2. TheELISAs are pre-coated with antibodies,offering detection that meets regulatoryrequirements, whilst saving time andensuring rapid analysis. They offer excellentinter and intra assay precision, whichincreases the reliability of results, ensuringless false positives and guaranteeing the bestscreening capability.

With global controls on food safety andcontaminants becoming ever morecomplex, having the right technology is keyto meeting those challenges now and in thefuture. Randox Food Diagnostics technology istried and tested by many of the world’sleading food producers and is leading themarket in mycotoxin screening. n

References are available fromthe author on request


Table 2. Extensive range of ELISAs for26 residues in three assays.

Ergot alkaloids

Ergotamine, Ergosine, Ergosinine,Ergocristine, Ergocristinine,Dihydroergochrisine, Ergocryptine,Ergocryptinine, Ergocornine, Ergocorninine, Ergotaminine, Ergovaline,Ergometrine, Ergometrinine, Agroclavine,Lysergic acid, LSD, iso-LSD, Lysergol

Aflatoxin M1

Aflatoxin B2

Aflatoxin B1

Aflatoxin B1, Aflatoxin B2, Aflatoxin G1,Aflatoxin G2, Aflatoxin M1, Aflatoxin M2

http://www.bc-diagnostics.com


Arcobacter in chicken meatThis Indian work (J. of Pure andAppl. Microbiol. 8 3165-3169)looked at the use of a PCR for thedetection of Arcobacter butzleri andA. cryaerophilus in chicken meatsamples.In a survey of 50 retail samples 28(56%) were found to be positive.

Sulphonamides in meat and eggsIn this American study (J. of AOACInt. 97 1481-1488) 12 sulphonamideresidues were determined in pork,chicken and eggs by ultra-performance LC/LC/MS after SPEclean up using multiwalled carbonnanotubes. Nine of the 12 compounds had

recoveries ranging from 71-90% innormal phase clean up and 70-94%in reverse phase.

CampylobacteriosisIn this New Zealand study (NewZealand Med. J. 127 22-37) a costbenefit analysis of the food safetyregulations of production of poultryfor the domestic market and thereduction of foodborne illness wasundertaken.In dollar terms a gain of at least$57.4 million was demonstrated.

Chinese campylobacterIn this Chinese study (Food. Paths.11 861-867) whole chicken carcaseswere collected from retail outlets inBeijing and their campylobacterloads were enumerated. In addition, representative campy-lobacter isolates were taken forantimicrobial testing. Some 23.6% of240 carcases were contaminated bycampylobacter and loads ranged

This Serbian paper (Zoos. and Pub. Health 61 364-370) looks at the spreadof fluoroquinolone resistant Salmonella infantis in Serbia from 2006-2011. The pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing revealed that quinoloneresistant S. infantis isolates in Serbia from humans, food and poultry had simi-lar or indistinguishable PFGE profiles, suggesting a clonal spread. All showed a combined resistance to nalidixic acid and tetracycline. Onlytwo isolates – both human – revealed multiple drug resistance.A single point gene mutation in the gyrAgene leading to a Ser83→Tyrexchange was detected in all isolates, and a second exchange (Ser80→Arg) ingene parCwas only present in eight isolates which exhibited slightly higherMICs to ciprofloxacin.

Fluoroquinolone resistancefrom 2.5-7,050cfus per g. The 50thpercentile value was 45cfus per g.Multidrug resistance profiles werefound in 39.2% of Campylobacterjejuni and 86.4% of C. coli isolates.

E. sakazakii detectionThis Chinese report (Chin. DairyInd. 42 41-43) looks at the repeata-bility, for Enterobacter sakazakii andEnterobacteriaceae testing usingPCR and traditional culture meth-ods. It was shown that the twomethods were fully consistent, butreal time PCR gave results soonerand was an easier test to operate.

Costa Rican campylobacterIn this study (Agro. Mesoam. 25357-363) 84 samples (24 retailchicken meat, 20 carcase rinses and40 caecal contents) were screenedfor Campylobacter Spp. Some 36 (42.8%) of samples werefound to be positive for C. jejuni andone (1.25%) for C. coli.


http://www.lgcstandards.com

LaboratoryTesting


Reports have emerged from the USFood and Drug Administration aboutundeclared peanut protein in cuminwhich presents a possible health riskto consumers with peanut allergy.The problem was first highlighted

when Adams Flavours issued a vol-untary recall for several of its spicedproducts after the cumin they pur-chased was found to contain unde-clared peanut proteins. This hassince resulted in a large number ofcumin-related recalls. Prompted by USA and Canadian

issues, the Food Standards Agencycommissioned a sampling pro-gramme which involved testingbatches of ground cumin and cuminseeds sold in the UK for the pres-ence of peanut and almond. This hasresulted in one recall to date. “Allergen issues are a major con-

cern, both to allergic consumers and

industry,” Barbara Hirst, RSSL consul-tant, food safety and quality, toldInternational Food Hygiene. “When issues like these arise, test-

ing validation is critical to understandthe scale of the problem and ensureall results have been verified.”The key is for suppliers and manu-

facturers to work with testing labora-tories to ensure that robust samplingplans and the most appropriate test-ing are undertaken. Spices can be a difficult matrix to

test, so being able to use the mostappropriate validated method is critical for the detection of peanutand almond in these types of sam-ples. RSSL can currently detect almond

protein using ELISA techniques orcan detect peanut or almond using aDNA based method.

[email protected]

Undeclared peanut andalmond protein in cumin

New meat referencematerials safeguardthe food chain

Six new meat mixture referencematerials have been developed byLGC scientists to help protect con-sumers from food fraud.The meat mixtures will enable

food testing laboratories to assessthe quality of their measurementsand ensure they are able to detectsubstitutions in meat products atspecified low levels.The materials were analysed using

three different approaches – DNAsequencing, a PCR based methodand an immunoassay method – toconfirm the expected meat speciesin the samples and the absence of

The Stomacher paddle blenderwas used to process both chickenskin and sponge swabs in order tomaximise bacterial recovery at thepre-enrichment phase, ensured bythe Stomacher’s patented paddledesign.Furthermore, the protocol

adopted stressed the need for pre-venting cross contaminationbetween samples which theStomacher methodology also safe-guards through use of irradiatedsterile Stomacher bags. The spongeswab technique followed by extrac-tion in the Stomacher has also beenshown to be a superior method toswab sticks, generating a more rep-resentative result.“The traditional techniques of hor-

izontal isolation of campylobacterare reliable but slow. New real-timePCR techniques require shorter pre-enrichment following Stomachingwhich could reduce time to result tojust 24 hours, to potentially enableprocessors to clear products beforeshipping,” Stuart Ray, TechnicalDirector, Seward Ltd, toldInternational Food Hygiene. “The quality of the sample pro-

duced by the Stomacher is essentialfor the reliability of this newapproach.”

[email protected]

beef. Of 145 samples tested, 43contained meat other than lamb and25 of these samples were found tocontain only beef. Other meatspecies identified included chickenand turkey. No samples were found to contain

horse meat.LGC has also produced single

meat species reference materials,prepared under LGC’s ISO Guide 34accreditation, for turkey meat,chicken meat, sheep meat, horsemeat, beef meat and pork meat.

[email protected]

Campylobacter contamination risk in chilled chicken

Seward Ltd’s Stomacher technologyhas been used for the preparation ofsamples in a UK wide campylobacterstudy. The project was undertaken by

the UK Food Standards Agency(FSA) using both public and privatemicrobiology laboratories to pro-duce the data. The samplesprocessed were chicken skin andsponge swabs taken from chickencarcases.

AOAC certification includes a newcombined testing method from envi-ronmental samples developed byDuPont Nutrition & Health andFoodChek Systems Inc of Calgary,Alberta, Canada. This new combined testing

method includes a 20 hour, single-stage enrichment in FoodChek’sproprietary Actero ListeriaEnrichment Media followed by rapidreal-time processing with theDuPont BAX System. The method allows for the detec-

tion of L. monocytogenes fromenvironmental samples in about 22hours, one of the fastest time-to-results available for the pathogen inthe food safety industry today.

[email protected]

The DuPont BAX System Real-TimePCR Assay for L. monocytogeneshas been certified as a PerformanceTested Method (PTM) by the AOACResearch Institute, a subsidiary ofAOAC International. This next generation test, which

combines shorter, simpler samplepreparation and faster real time pro-cessing without sacrificing accuracyor reliability, has been validated on avariety of sample matrices, includingfrankfurters, cooked shrimp,spinach, queso fresco and environ-mental surfaces.In addition to the 24LEB and refer-

ence method media based enrich-ment protocols published during thecommercialisation of the BAXSystem assay in July 2014, this

Enrichment media for 22 hourlisteria detection

possible species cross-contamina-tion. The limit of detection is below1% of one meat species in the pres-ence of another. These reference materials were

produced in direct response to thehorse meat incident and subsequentreports of substitutions of cheapermeat in the food chain.In the UK, it is an offence under

sections 14 and 15 of the FoodSafety Act 1990 to sell food that is‘not of the nature, substance orquality demanded by the purchaser’or ‘to falsely or misleadinglydescribe or present food’. An investigation by the Food

Standards Agency (FSA), publishedin April 2014, revealed that somelamb dishes from takeaway restau-rants across the UK containedcheaper meats such as chicken and





LaboratoryTesting breakthroughs & advancements


tion materials, saving material andlabour costs. Other environmentalsalmonella species test kits requireseveral complicated steps includingmeasurement and mixing of media,sample enrichment, and transfer ofenriched sample to the test device.InSite Salmonella’s convenient

design eliminates the needfor any special prepara-tion, measurement, orenrichment outside thetest device,simplifying theassay so anylevel of usercan success-fully run the

test, thus virtually elimi-nating the possibility ofoperator error.The incorporation of

a large foam swab budimproves sample collec-tion, while enabling thecoverage of a large sur-face area for environ-mental surface testing. The neutralising non-

selective pre-enrichmentbroth utilised enablesdetection for even lownumbers of salmonella.It also minimises theeffect of residual sanitis-ers while also facilitatingthe recovery of stressedcells. InSite provides aproven performance forthe detection of salmo-nella, but with little interferencefrom non-salmonella bacteria.

[email protected]

The latest addition to the Hygienaline of rapid micro-organism tests isInSite Salmonella, which is a rapidand convenient colorimetric salmo-nella species test for environmentalsurfaces. Its all-in-one test format contains

both the pre-enrichment and selec-

tive enrichment procedures, main-tains security and minimises the riskof cross contamination. It alsoretains the active culture for anysubsequent verification and identifi-cation tests.InSite Salmonella is a self-con-

tained, ready-to-use swab test whichcontains a specialised liquid mediumwhich changes colour when salmo-nella species are present in the sam-ple. A colour change from purple to

bright yellow indicates presence,with positive results in as early as 24hours from sample collection. Ashort pre-enrichment period of 6hours gives the optimum and earli-est detection of presumptive posi-tive samples in the 24 hour period.Optional overnight or 24 hour

pre-enrichment enables detection ofsuch samples in 48 hours. The all-in-one test device elimi-

nates the need for sample prepara-

Visual colour change verifiessalmonella sampling

diagnostics and offer proactive ser-vice in order to avoid downtime.Service starts with feed water

analysis by a certified MerckMillipore field service engineer priorto system installation. Then, overtime, users can ensure the bestupkeep of their AFS E water purifi-cation system with a customisedWatercare Pact service plan.

With its large new touchscreen, the system isdesigned for intuitive oper-

ation and for supporting theuser with easy step-by-stepinstructions during routinemaintenance. Interactingwith the water purificationsystem has never been eas-ier. For increased flexibility,the system interface can alsobe accessed from anotherlocation, using a PC, tablet,or smart phone through a

web browser.Mobile and customisable, the new

range of systems is designed tomake the best use of laboratoryspace. The quiet, compact systemsare mounted on wheels, and can bemoved around the laboratory – orto another location – depending onrequirements.AFS E system users can choose

from a number of options andaccessories to match their specificrequirements, including an onlineTotal Organic Carbon (TOC) moni-tor, degassing option, and sanitarysampling valve, among others.

[email protected]

Merck Millipore has introduced theirAFS 40E, 80E, 120E and 150E waterpurification systems, which havebeen developed to provide clinicallaboratories with an economical andreliable water purification solutionfor daily water volumes of up to3000 litres.The systems rely on two powerful

technologies to produce water qual-ity meeting Clinical andLaboratory StandardsInstitute (CLSI) ClinicalLaboratory ReagentWater standards. State-of-the-art,

proven Elix elec-trodeionization (EDI)technology ensuresconstant water qualitywith low and pre-dictable running costs,while unique ERA(Evolutive RejectAdjustment) technology takesfeed water quality into account inorder to automatically optimisewater recovery – and reduce waterusage costs.The systems also offer users pow-

erful 24/7 real-time monitoring andremote control over their waterpurification systems, as well as anew generation of enhanced ser-vices. These advanced monitoringfeatures, along with an unprece-dented level of service, also helpmaximise water purification systemand analyser uptime. The systems have been designed

to provide quick and precise remote

High performance waterpurification systems

Exclusive worldwidedistributor deal

LGC has become the exclusiveworldwide distributor of CIFGA’sspecialist marine biotoxin standardsand reference materials.CIFGA is a leading producer of

marine biotoxin standards and refer-ence materials and this agreementenables current CIFGA customersto take advantage of LGC’s exten-sive logistics, supply and distributioncapabilities.“Using reference materials is vital

to ensure analytical testing is accu-rate, reliable and traceable,” LiamGormley, Food and EnvironmentProduct Manager, LGC, toldInternational Food Hygiene.“The broad range of marine

biotoxin standards LGC can nowoffer through CIFGA means thatmore laboratories will have confi-dence in their results. As well asreinforcing LGC’s vision of sciencefor a safer world, this partnershipwill improve the availability of theseproducts to the scientific communityand increase the safety of seafoodfor consumers.”

[email protected]





Adulterant Screensoftware fromPerkinElmer Inc is an

automated solution that can helpfood industry professionals evaluatethe integrity of food ingredients toguard against existing and potentialfood adulteration threats.

When paired with PerkinElmer’sFourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR)and Near Infrared (NIR) spectro-scopy instruments, it creates aunique, combined hardware andsoftware system that can confirmauthenticity and perform nutritionalanalysis in a single step.

“Food quality professionals face anincreasing number of risks related totheir ingredients which need to becontinually screened for knowncontaminants as well as unknowncontaminants that may be unsafesubstitutions,” Jon DiVincenzo,President, Environmental Health,PerkinElmer, told International FoodHygiene.

“We are committed to deliveringadvanced detection solutions to helpour global customers addressincreasingly complex industryregulations related to food qualitycontrol and safety in the supplychain.”

Adulterant Screen softwareperforms rapid, targeted and non-targeted screening for several typesof adulterants.

Its customised set-up enables fast,effective implementation withoutlengthy calibrations. Its simple andintuitive green light/red light,‘pass/fail’ results system enableseasy implementation, regardless ofthe knowledge level of its users.

[email protected]

New research intohair contamination

New research into hair contamin-ation reveals that it is caused notonly by natural hair shedding fromthe scalp, but also from the damagemade to hair by modern hair stylingand treatment.

Help is at hand with new productsfrom ABurnet Ltd featuring Hair-Barrier and StayCool propertieswith complimentary training, posters

and videos and on-line auditing tobest practice.

“I am of the opinion that theKleenCap-Max hairnets, if carefullyfitted to freshly washed hair and leftuntouched, should be effective incontaining shed and severed hairshafts,” Professor Barry Stevens,President of the Trichology Society2014-16, told International FoodHygiene.

There has been similar, positivefeedback from industry.

“We have trialled KleenCap andthe feedback from the operatives isthat it is very comfortable,” addedMichaela Watson, QA/compliancemanager, Freshtime UK.

“This is a really innovativeapproach to hair containment andcomplaint reduction. There is achoice of hair coverings which arewell supported with clear visual aidsand a KPI management system totrack improvements by area,”commented Ann Marie Helm,technical manager for Fox’s Biscuits.

Independent advice and practicaltips from both Professor Stevensand the University of Bolton can beobtained from the new WhitePaper, ‘Target Zero HairComplaints’ which is available onlineat www.aburnet.co.uk/target-zero-hair-complaints.

[email protected]

Clip boards are synonymous with organisation and tidiness.Yet where do you keep them so they are out of the way andimmediately to hand? The new Detectamet wall mounted

stainless steel clip board or file holder can be easily installed on a handy wallor partition. There are two ready to use sizes designed to take A4 or A3sized clipboards or files. The high quality 304 grade stainless steel is of ahigh hygiene standard. Produced in Britain, the A4 and A3 units can betailor made using 316 grade stainless steel and special dimension units canalso be made to order. The clean resilience of these products ensures thatcustomers can enjoy an extended product life cycle cost. Each unit is pre-drilled with two keyhole screw points for easy fitting. The DetectametLaser engraving service is available for placing company name, logo or usageinstructions on the front panel.

[email protected]

The British RetailConsortium launchedtheir revised Global

Standard for Food Safety Version 7which is used by over 22,000certified suppliers in 123 countries,at the beginning of this year.

The new version has beendeveloped to address food safety,quality and operational criteriawithin food manufacturing to ensuregreater transparency in the supplychain and improvement of foodsafety in small facilities whereprocesses are still in development.

RSSL has launched a new trainingcourse for manufacturers andretailers to address areas of the newstandard specifically aroundchallenges with risk assessment,traceability and authenticity.

This training is paramount as anessential part of compliance with thenew BRC standard which highlightsboth the issue of supply chain

integrity and the challenges of crosscontamination in light of the horsemeat contamination issues in 2013.

Where risks have been identified,manufacturers must put in placeprocesses, control measures and,where appropriate, sampling andanalysis to ensure product integrity.

In line with the impeccablereputation of all of RSSL's trainingcourses, ‘Cross Contamination – Ajourney from risk assessment tomanagement’ involves a high degreeof practical delegate interaction andknowledge based learning.

“Having been heavily involved inthe horse meat issue and advisingthe industry, this course has beenspecifically developed to givedelegates both the confidence andability to help meet the new BRCrequirements,” Barbara Hirst, RSSLConsultant, Food Safety and Quality,told International Food Hygiene.

[email protected] b

Beefing up training

Rapid detection software

http://www.detectamet.co.uk






Food and beveragemanufacturers needto specify wall coating

solutions that will maintain a sanitarysurface over extended periods oftime despite challenging workingconditions that can include wearfrom staff, chemical attacks, spilledfood and drink, frequent cleaningwith hot water and impacts fromequipment.

The Food Safety & Hygiene(England) Regulations 2013 outlinesthe properties that wall coatingsneed to meet to provide a hygienicsurface within the food andbeverage industry.

These regulations state that wallsmust be ‘easy to clean and, wherenecessary, to disinfect’. It adds thatwall surfaces must ‘be made ofmaterials that are impervious (do

not allow fluid to pass through),non-absorbent, washable and non-toxic’ as well as being ‘smooth, upto a height appropriate for the workcarried on’.

To provide developers andfacilities managers with a wallcoating that meets these criteria,Flowcrete UK has developed PeranWW, a water based hygienic sealerthat can be applied within cleanroom environments to provide acoloured gloss finish.

This two component, solvent freeand vapour permeable wall coatinghas been embraced by the foodindustry and has been utilised byproducers, distributors, retailers andrestaurants including Linzer’sBakery, Gate Gourmet, ASDA andDenmark’s Blue Planet Aquarium.

Flowcrete UK’s expertise inproviding high performance floorand wall coatings makes them wellplaced to deliver integrated systemsthat combine coving to create aseamless and gap free transitionbetween the two surfaces.

Peran WW is easy to install, whichmeans that developers do not haveto invest as much time and energyinto coating the site’s walls as theywould with alternative materials. Itsroller applied installation methodcan even be carried out on dampsubstrates and its low odourformulation minimises on-sitedisruption, allowing for earlierfollow-on trades and a swifterconstruction timetable.

[email protected]

The writing is on the wall Hygiene monitoringGood hygiene is the control ofundesirable materials within theproduction process and itsenvironment. Hygiene monitoring isthe process of regular measurementsto assess that the controls areoperating within acceptable limits.

Many process controls are consideredcritical to food safety and themaintenance of high standards ofquality. Cleaning is an essentialcomponent of good manufacturingpractice and is often a pre-requisite ofHACCP because history has shownthat inadequate cleaning results indown-grades, spoilage, productrecalls and food poisoning. Hygienemonitoring is frequently understoodto mean the measurement ofcleaning processes of productionequipment or food contact surfacesand its immediate environment (non-food contact surfaces).

Cleaning and sanitation are oftenused interchangeably to describecleaning processes but can meandifferent things and can have differentrequirements. The generally acceptedorder of events is rinse, clean, rinseand sanitise however dry cleaningcan only be used for certainfoodstuffs although these processesdo not involve sanitation.

Cleaning is defined as the completeremoval of food soil using appropriatedetergent chemicals underrecommended conditions. Differenttypes of food soil require differentchemistry of its removal. For example,alkaline detergents more efficientlyremove fat- and protein-based soils,while mineral-based soils require acidcleaners. Accordingly the ideal test ofcleaning efficiency is a directobjective test for food residue.

It is important to differentiate anddefine certain terminology: • Sterilise refers to the statisticaldestruction and removal of all livingorganisms. • Disinfect refers to inanimate objectsand the destruction of all vegetativecells (not spores). • Sanitise refers to the reduction ofmicro-organisms to levels consideredsafe from a public health viewpoint.

Chemical sanitisation involves the useof an approved chemical sanitiser at aspecified concentration and contacttime which for product contactsurfaces are designed to reduce thecontamination level by 99.999% (5

logs) in 30 seconds. Thermalsanitisation involves the use of hotwater or steam for a specifiedtemperature and contact time.

Accordingly the monitoring of thesehygienic processes would require themeasurement of time, temperature,chemical concentration and residualmicrobes.

Clearly sanitising an unclean surfacewould compromise the anti-microbialeffect of the active agent and wouldbe a waste of time and money, so acombination of appropriate tests needto be implemented to monitor theefficacy of each stage of the process.

Validation is intended to demonstratethat the process meets theoperational needs and designspecification. It measures the efficacyof the cleaning process anddemonstrates its fitness for purposeand such studies are conducted whenestablishing cleaning for the first time,or when there is a change of chemicalproduct/supplier or changes in foodtype or formulation. It establishes thatthe critical limits can be achieved.

Verification is intended to check thatthe process meets a set of designspecifications. It is the regularmeasurement for compliance againstthe standards determined by thevalidation study and/or against anagreed standard. Tests are applied tocritical control points which areinfluenced by the nature of theproduct and its manufacturingprocess. Clean-in-place systems areeasier to control and deliver a higherstandard compared to manualcleaning methods. Greater care andassessment is required for equipmentthat is complex and/or hard to clean.

The results of routine hygienemonitoring are assessed by trendanalysis to aid interpretation and givean early warning of a drift out ofcontrol. Hygiene monitoring methodsare also applied to identify and locatehotspots during trouble shooting or aspart of a continuous improvementprogram.

For certain products and targetconsumers, cross contamination fromthe wider production environmentmay also require the monitoring ofspecific pathogens such assalmonella, listeria and cronobacter.But what methods and standards areapplied to hygiene monitoring?

www.hygiena.com

NSF acquiresErdmann Analytics

NSF International, an independentglobal public health and safetyorganisation that developsstandards, and tests and certifiesproducts for the food, water anddietary supplement industries, hasacquired Erdmann Analytics.

The acquisition expands NSFInternational’s scientific andtechnical capabilities in Europe andstrengthens its global laboratorynetwork.

Located in Rheda-Wiedenbrück,Germany, Erdmann Analytics is alaboratory specialising in analyticaltesting for a wide range of foodproducts such as meat, produce,

packaged foods, fruit juices, seafoodand dairy.

The laboratory employs morethan 170 scientific experts includingfood chemists, biochemists, foodtechnologists, nutritional scientistsand biologists.

The acquisition strengthens NSFInternational’s ability to provide itsclients the most advanced testingservices in every market they serveor source products.

Erdmann Analytics clients will gainaccess to NSF International’s globallaboratory network and wide rangeof technical resources that addressevolving requirements in global foodsafety in the US and other keymarkets.

[email protected]


http://www.hygiena.com


Year

30

Diary


2015

The ChefAlarmprofessional cookingthermometer and

timer, is now available fromElectronic Temperature InstrumentsLtd in five food safe colours – blue,green, red, white and yellow.

The unit incorporates a fullyprogrammable count up/downtimer and includes a multi-functionalLCD display which simultaneouslyindicates the elapsed time, thecurrent and the min/maxtemperatures during a cooking cycle.

Its loud audible alarm soundswhen the food reaches the pre-determined temperature orprogrammed time.

The ChefAlarm measurestemperature over the range -50-300°C, with an accuracy of betterthan ±1°C, utilising the units ‘CAL’feature it is possible for the user tofine-tune the thermometersaccuracy to better than ±0.5°C;ideal for critical food safetyareas. The loud audiblealarm with its adjustablevolume (92dB) can be heard in thenoisiest kitchen or productionarea.

The main temperaturedigits are big and easy-to-see from a distance, plus the

one-touch backlight button allowsthe user to read the display in poorlight conditions. Each ChefAlarm issupplied with a robust stainless steelfood penetration probe, designedfor commercial use.

The probe can be used for spotchecking the temperature of foodduring storage or it can be usedinside an oven to monitor the wholecooking cycle.

An optional miniature needleprobe is also available for thin ortiny food portions, as well as SousVide cooking, where the probe andits cable can be immersed in thewater bath. The probe can measuretemperatures up to 300°C, albeitthe stainless steel braided lead canonly withstand short-term exposureto 250°C.

[email protected] b

Colour coded cooking

Ericson Manufact-uring provides arevolutionary step

in the fight aga inst bacteria lcontamination and growth withthe introduction of Perma-Kleenanti-microbial plugs, connectors,cable, cord drops, and cord sets.This advantage brings a practicalapproach to controlling microbialgrowth by embedding ant i-microbial additives directly intothe polymer providing continual,long lasting protection.

[email protected]

food research and authenticity fordecades and their staff have workedfor the UK government during thehorse gate and many other recentfood issues.

The company have reconfiguredtheir research capacities to ensurethat they can be ready for the nextissue, and have better systems andprocedures in place to speed thewhole operation.

There has been an investment ofapproximately £1.5m in therehousing and structuring of theequipment.

[email protected]

Anuga Food Tec24-27th March

Cologne, Germanywww.anugafoodtec.com

IAFP Europe20-22nd April

Cardiff, UKwww.foodprotection.org

BTA21-24th April

Barcelona, Spainwww.bta-bcn.com

Food Safety Summit 201528-30th April

Baltimore, USAwww.foodsafetysummit.com

XXI European Symposium onthe Quality of Poultry Meat

10-13th MayNantes, France

www.eggmeat2015.com

XVI European Symposium onthe Quality of Eggs and End

products10-13th May

Nantes, Francewww.eggmeat2015.com

Meat Up - Food Science andTechnology Show

30th June - 1st JulyWarwickshire, UK

www.food-shows.com/meatup

IFT11-14th July

Chicago, IL, USAwww.am-fe.ift.org

IAFP USA25-28th July

Portland, USAwww.foodprotection.org

Process Expo15-18th September

Chicago, IL, USAwww.myprocessexpo.com

constraints of the site can be metaccording to the type of soiling(personalisation of contact time,extent and concentration as well asthe product application method).

[email protected]

Investment in food authenticity

Fera are opening one of the largestMass Spec suites in the UK, inreadiness for the next foodauthenticity issue.

Fera has been at the forefront of

New temperatureprobe

With the TF43, WIKA now offers anew temperature probe designedspecifically for use in refrigeration,cooling and air-conditioning systems.

In the new insertion thermometerthe measuring element and junctionsto the connection cable arecompletely moulded with plastic.

This protection prevents theformation of condensation due tofrequent temperature changes in thedew point range. The TF43 isavailable in several versions. It isdesigned for a measuring range from-50°C to +105°C.

[email protected]

New range of ecodetergents

As impact on the environment is atthe core of product development,LCB food safety has developed arange of enzyme ecodetergentstailored to applications in foodprocessing (foam application withcold water, foam with hot water andapplication in ducts and tunnels).

The Clearzym Pack includes theservices of an expert on the site toassist industrials with the choice andadaptation of an enzyme cleaningproduct in order to optimise theircleaning plans with a tailor-madeoffering.

This service also means that the

Secure your regular copy of International Food Hygieneby taking out a subscription

see page 3 or email [email protected]





http://www.myprocessexpo.com


http://www.am-fe.ift.org

http://www.food-shows.com/meatup

http://www.eggmeat2015.com

http://www.eggmeat2015.com

http://www.foodsafetysummit.com

http://www.bta-bcn.com

https://www.foodprotection.org/europeansymposium/

http://www.anugafoodtec.com






http://www.neogeneurope.com

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