Dairy processing plants must run a battery of tests on raw milk. Later, the lab checks out finished products. In this article, a lab evaluation officer from the state of South Dakota reviews the tests and the testing methods.
August 16, 2012
Milk has the distinction of being nature’s most perfect food and is also the most widely tested food on the dinner table. This nutrient-packed and perishable food requires substantial controls and testing to assure the consumer of enjoying a safe and highly nutritious food.
Cloverland has been awarded a Level 3 Certification from the Safety Quality Foods Institute (SQF) -- the highest possible qualification, which testifies to appropriate protection being in place from standard hygiene issues all the way up to, and including, terrorist attacks.
Neogen’s newly approved Soleris test (Performance Tested MethodSM certification 071203 from the AOAC Research Institute) detects microorganisms in as little as 4 hours, and only takes 24 hours to a negative result. Conventional methods can take up to 2 days.
Neogen’s new Reveal 3-D for Total Milk Allergen provides results in just 5 minutes after extraction, detecting as little as 5 parts per million of whey and casein protein residues. The new test has been validated for use in testing liquid food products (e.g., juices, sorbets, and soy and other non-dairy milk), environmental swabs and clean-in-place rinses.
These are the bad bugs in dairy plants. USDA and FDA surveys have reported that Listeria is present in more than 10% of all raw milk from commercial U.S. dairy farms.
Listeria monocytogenes (L. mono)is a gram-positive bacterium and a specific member of the Listeria family. It is capable of causing severe illness and even death. The mortality rate from L. monoin susceptible populations is one of the highest of any known food pathogen. Individuals with compromised immune systems are particularly vulnerable.
The Celsis AutoSampler, a high-throughput, robotic sampling unit for the Celsis InnovateTM rapid microbial screening system for the dairy and beverage industry, is now available globally. By automating the few manual processes used in the Celsis rapid detection process, each AutoSampler enables companies to test up to 500 samples per hour while reducing human error.
Neogen Corporation has launched the ANSR isothermal pathogen detection system along with its first assay for Salmonella at the FMI / AMI / United Fresh conference in Dallas. The ANSR system (Amplified Nucleic Single Temperature Reaction) is very easy to use, accurate and dependable.
Specifically designed for machinery used in the food industry, ClarionPM 100 NLGI 2 Grease from Clarion Lubricants is a high-temperature, extreme-pressure and water-resistant grease.