- Microbiology
Pathogens
Analysis of pathogenic microorganisms
Verify the safety of your products, ensure food safety, protect consumer health.
Prevention of microbiological contamination and risk control
Preventing foodborne infections caused by the presence of pathogenic microorganisms, in addition to being a legal requirement, helps avoid the main cause of food safety crises.
Microbiological contamination, especially bacterial contamination, is the most common cause of food-related health issues. Ideally, any food should be free from pathogenic microorganisms. However, this is not always achievable. In addition to preventive measures to avoid product contamination and the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms, analytical control is an essential tool to ensure food safety.
The design of control plans must be based on a detailed hazard analysis, which will determine the analyses to be carried out and their frequency in order to control critical points. In extreme cases, to guarantee batch-by-batch safety, some companies implement positive release systems, which involve blocking the release of production batches until analytical confirmation of the safety of each batch is obtained.
Legal framework, microbiological criteria and need for analytical accreditation
In order to ensure a high level of public health protection, Regulation (EU) No 2073/2005 establishes the microbiological criteria applicable to foodstuffs, which agri-food companies must comply with throughout the entire food chain, from the manufacturing process to product dispatch. This regulation states that foodstuffs must not contain microorganisms, or their toxins or metabolites, in quantities that pose an unacceptable risk to human health.
To meet these needs, food business operators require analytical services that provide the highest level of assurance, an area in which accreditation plays a decisive role, while also being sufficiently rapid to ensure effective control, particularly when control systems involving the positive release of batches are implemented.
At AINIA, we add value
- Accredited by ENAC and therefore recognised by ILAC (International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation) to carry out testing of the main pathogens in food, using different techniques to adapt to cost, legal requirements and turnaround time needs: plate count, culture media isolation techniques for detection, PCR, automated MPN, manual MPN, ELISA
- Included in the Accreditation Programme “Food Microbiological Testing” (NT-70.02).
Testing for compliance with food microbiological criteria:
- Listeria monocytogenes
- Salmonella
- Escherichia coli
- Aerobic colony count
- Enterobacteriaceae
- Coagulase-positive staphylococci
- Presumptive Bacillus cereus
- Staphylococcal enterotoxins
- Designated as an official control laboratory for the analysis of main pathogens, applying ISO reference standards
- Advice on optimising control plans and interpreting final results
- Fast response times, with turnaround times adapted to our clients’ needs, including support for positive release systems
- Execution of technical assistance studies proposing corrective actions in response to pathogen occurrence. Multidisciplinary solutions
Pathogens
Our solutions include:
- Advice on designing control plans
- Support in sample logistics management to ensure appropriate collection, handling, transport and reception conditions
- Carrying out analyses using the most appropriate techniques, combining high reliability criteria with costs and turnaround times adapted to our clients’ needs, including support for positive release systems
- Integration of samples and analysis of large sample volumes
- Adaptation, development and validation of analytical techniques for the detection of pathogens in complex, exclusive and specific matrices from our clients
- Issuing results through secure and accessible platforms based on modern information and communication technologies
- Advice for correct interpretation of the results obtained
Accredited methods for pathogen analysis
- Extensive portfolio of accredited methods in accordance with current regulations:
- Salmonella spp
- Listeria monocytogenes
- Presumptive Bacillus cereus
- Salmonella Enteritidis
- Salmonella Typhimurium
- Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC)
- Pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica
- Vibrio cholerae
- Vibrio parahaemolyticus
- Cronobacter spp.
- Campylobacter spp.
- Clostridium perfringens
- Matrices:
- Food
- Surfaces
- Additives
- Infusions
- Condiments
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