Microbiological risk in complex food supply chains

Microbiological food safety relies on the skill and vigilance of producers at every stage of the supply chain. The food industry supply chain reaches back to the farms that are the primary producers of food through to the development labs, processing factories and retailers. Within this chain are critical control points providing the opportunity to catch contamination with processes in place that prevent these issues reaching our dinner tables. But the food supply chain is a complex web often crossing international borders.

Food microbiologists must invest in the latest technologies and techniques, and a key aspect of this the need for a decent representative sample. If the sample is not representative then the result is going to be flawed.

Seward Limited, the manufacturer of the Stomacher^® lab blenders, is involved in several development projects for existing and new techniques in food microbiology. The viability of the sample is protected by the blending process of the Stomacher lab blenders. The machines operate at a maximum of 600 paddle strikes per minute, imparting a powerful blending action to the sample ensuring maximum homogeneity is achieved. This action prevents damage to the bacteria contained within, compared to other blending methods.

Offering a volume sample range from 250 µL to 4500 mL, Stomacher lab blenders, in particular the 400, 400EVO and 3500 can be used daily in food safety testing, producing accurate, repeatable results.

Stomacher^® is a registered trademark of FermionX Ltd.

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