CARO News

CARO Food Microbiology

Posted on November 13, 2015

For over 28 years CARO Analytical Services has been helping our public and private clients achieve complete peace of mind for their lab testing needs. In order to further support a growing public demand and CARO Food Testing Parameters, we are pleased to announce that we have expanded our testing to include Food Microbiology!

Health Authorities have developed some basic food safety guidelines that classify health risks associated with certain types of food products. Initial screening would determine the risk category (High or Low) your food product falls into based on the results of the following tests:

• Hydrogen ion concentration (pH)
• Water Activity (Aw)

Lower Risk Food – food in a form or state that is not capable of supporting the growth of disease causing microorganisms or the production of toxins. Lower risk foods typically will have one or both of the following

• Water Activity (Aw) ≤ (greater than or equal to) 0.85 – low moisture content
• pH ≤ (greater than or equal to) 4.6 – acidic environment

Higher Risk Food – food in a form or state which is capable of supporting growth of disease causing microorganisms or the production of toxins. Generally this includes food products that have both > (greater than) 0.85 Aw for water activity moisture content and > (greater than) 4.6 pH.

Based on the initial screening, there are a number of biological indicators that CARO can test for associated with high risk food products as well as inadequate processing, contamination, poor sanitation, and poor food handling processes that may result in preventable food poisoning incidents.

• Total Coliforms – Exist naturally in soil, water, and vegetation. Total Coliforms are generally harmless but there presence indicates inadequate processing or contamination
• Fecal Coliforms – Typically found in the feces of humans and animals but may also be found naturally in the environment. Their presence may indicate fecal contamination.
• Escherichia coli – E.coli are members of the fecal coliform group and their presence is an indicator of direct fecal contamination.
• Salmonella – commonly found in the intestines of animals and birds. Salmonella presence is also an indicator of direct fecal contamination.
• Total Aerobic Bacteria – Total aerobic bacteria represents the total number of bacteria able to grow in an oxygenated environment. Their presence is typically used to monitor quality and to look for significant changes in quality, sanitation, processing, and food handling.
• Yeast and Mold – often lead to spoilage of food products, including low risk foods.

In addition to food product testing, ensure proper sanitation of production areas through microbiological environmental surface testing as part of your routine cleaning and safety checks.

Please feel free to contact us here to obtain further information, request supplies, or to speak to a customer service representative about your specific testing needs.