Why Test?

Microbial testing can serve different purposes for your facility. Quality testing on both products and environmental samples can indicate how "clean" or "dirty" your products and surfaces and, ultimately, your processing environment are. Test results can be used to pinpoint temperature issues, sanitation problems and contamination risks, all of which can affect your product food safety and quality. Being proactive with your testing means not having to be reactive later. Keeping a record of your facility's results brings more awareness of the established procedures and can help to enforce proper practices. Ultimately this will lead to better products and greater customer satisfaction. A consistent testing program can help to track where problems may originate, help increase awareness of food handling and cleaning procedures and reinforce appropriate behaviors which are needed to maintain quality and safety of your products. Marketfresh offers next day results for pathogen testing using PCR technology.

To submit samples to MarketFresh for testing, print off a Sample Submission Form and send samples in an appropriate container (place perishable items in an insulated package with gel packs) to MarketFresh Food Testing Laboratory, 2920 Talmage Ave. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414, or call Alison at MarketFresh to discuss your testing needs.

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What to Test?

Typical tests that are performed for quality testing include Aerobic Plate Count or "APC", coliform count and E. coli count. Other types of tests may be warranted when looking at specific types of products or looking specifically at a spoilage issue.

APC or Aerobic Plate Count is used as an indicator of the bacterial population in a sample. It is a count of the bacteria that are able to grow aerobically at an incubation temperature equivalent to human body temperature. This test is used as a gauge of food quality and provides information on freshness and/or temperature abuse.

Coliforms are a specific group of bacteria that originate in soil or in animals. They are common to the environment in which we live and are naturally found in some products, particularly produce, but sanitation procedures should always be in place with the goal of eliminating them from a food processing environment. Coliform testing is used as an indicator of food safety and can provide information about sanitation procedures.

E. coli is a specific type of coliform that originates in the gut of warm blooded animals and can also be found in environmental reservoirs. There are many different types of E. coli; “generic” E. coli is what is reported for quality testing. This is different than testing for pathogenic E. coli, (designated as E. coli O157:H7). E. coli testing is used as an indicator of contamination. Although it may not be a pathogenic strain of E. coli, the presence of any E. coli is a red flag that something went wrong in the process to allow this contamination to occur and could indicate a potential food safety risk.

Spoilage may be due to different types of bacteria or other types of microorganisms such as yeasts and molds and may not be indicated by basic quality testing. Spoilage issues are dependent on the type of product and environment it provides for growth of microorganisms. Please call to discuss spoilage risks specific to your products.

MarketFresh is a full-service food microbiology laboratory and not all tests are listed here. Please call for a comprehensive brochure about our testing services.

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Safety Testing

The most common tests done for safety purposes are Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli O157:H7. All these types of bacteria can be potential pathogens (organisms that make you sick).

Staphylococcus aureus, or Coagulase-Positive "Staph", is used as an indicator of food handling practices. Some types of Staphylococcus naturally occur on human skin, but Staphylococcus aureus can colonize when there is an open sore or wound. Staph can be passed into the food through coughing/sneezing, or by direct handling by workers with lesions. Staphylococcus aureus presents a potential health hazard, because if temperature abuse occurs, it can grow to high levels and produce a toxin that can cause food borne illness. Staphylococcus aureus testing is recommended for food products that have more "hands on" in the process and will not be reheated before consumption.

Listeria species is a group of bacteria naturally found in soil and is also associated with a wide variety of animals and insects. Therefore, Listeria is easily introduced into a food processing facility. Most Listeria species are not pathogenic, but Listeria monocytogenes can be very dangerous for high risk populations - the very young, the elderly, the immuno-compromised and pregnant women and their fetuses. The USDA has issued regulations for Listeria testing for food processing facilities dealing with meat. Check the USDA website at to see how this affects your operation http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oppde/rdad/FRPubs/97-013F/LM_Rule_Compliance_Guidelines_May_2006.pdf, or call to discuss testing with MarketFresh.

Because of the nature of this organism, it is a good idea for any and all types of food facilities to do environmental monitoring to make sure that Listeria is not present.

Salmonella is most known for its association with chicken and raw eggs, but has caused illness in many different types of products due to improper cooking, improper handling and cross contamination. The infective dose of Salmonella is very low, meaning the presence of ANY Salmonella in the food processing plant or food product is a food safety risk. Certain types of facilities may benefit from doing Salmonella environmental testing as well as product testing. Please call to discuss testing with MarketFresh.

E. coli O157:H7, or the "bad E. coli" causes very serious food borne illness. The most common association of this organism is with ground beef, but more recently has caused significant problems in produce. E. coli O157:H7 has also caused illness from un-pasteurized juices and raw milk. The USDA regulates the meat industry and requires testing for this organism. Please check the USDA website to see how this affects your operation, or call to discuss testing with MarketFresh.

Some types of products are more at risk for particular types of pathogens, as organisms have preferred environments in which to grow. Please call for more information about the safety risk of your products and what other types of microbial testing may be beneficial for your type of facility. This is not intended to be a full list of testing services. Please call for a comprehensive brochure of all testing services at MarketFresh Food Testing Laboratory.

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Allergens

On January 1, 2006, the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) went into effect. www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/alrgact.html

This law requires that food labels clearly identify any ingredient containing protein derived from the 8 major allergenic food groups: milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat or soybeans. Allergens are proteins from foods that cause an allergic reaction in prone individuals. A product may be subject to recall if it contains a major allergenic protein ingredient that is not declared on the food label.

MarketFresh performs allergen testing for the following allergens in both product and environmental samples: dairy, egg, soy, wheat and peanut. Thus far, no tolerance levels have been set, so currently the testing is a "presence/absence" test. If you have specific needs for customizing your allergen testing, please contact MarketFresh to discuss.

It is critical that your products don't contain any residues of any potentially allergenic proteins. This can occur if sanitation procedures are not effective in removing traces of protein from a food prep surface. Allergenic residue indicator swabs are available to do a quick check of your environment before, during or after production to determine if there are any allergenic protein residues remaining on food prep surfaces. Please call MarketFresh to discuss if this may be a valuable option for your facility. Allergen testing kits are available through MarketFresh.

Our customers value being able to consult with us about their own specific needs and challenges. Call us today at 612-331-4050 and let us show you how you and your business will benefit from MarketFresh.