A recent spate of food product recalls reported through the
Food Standards Agency highlights the continued need for routine food
testing to prevent the outbreak of disease and financial losses connected to
product withdrawals. Microbiology specialists Lab M provide an extensive
portfolio of culture media products capable of supporting a comprehensive food
hygiene programme. Products include the Harlequin
TM range of chromogenic media,
which support the rapid detection of key foodborne organisms and reduce the
need for subculture or confirmatory tests.
"If there is a problem with a food product it may have to be
withdrawn from the market," said Phil Large, Lab M´s Sales and Marketing
Manager. "As well as bringing risk to public health, product withdrawals incur
financial losses which companies need to avoid, especially in today's financial
climate."
Recently, the FSA has circulated reports of food recalls
including Listeria spp. in ground cumin and smoked mackerel fillet and Salmonella
spp. in tapas meat. Food hygiene programs within manufacturing plants and
catering outlets should therefore incorporate routine testing for contamination
to ensure the safety of food products.
Lab M's Harlequin
TM chromogenic range includes
microbiological culture media for the isolation and presumptive identification of
Listeria spp., Listeria monocytogenes or salmonellae in foods. Harlequin
TM
Listeria Chromogenic Agar and Harlequin
TM Salmonella ABC Medium each deliver a
rapid, accurate means of selectively isolating, enumerating and differentiating
organisms.
A full list of Lab M's culture media portfolio is available
at
www.labm.com
