Rapid tests, versatile equipment and improved instruments and supplies assist dairy processors with laboratory efficiencies. Not long ago, dairy processors routinely packed up samples and shipped them to off-site labs for various tests including micro, composition and even sensory performance.
Weeks passed before results were obtained and, at that point, they were virtually irrelevant. Only dangerously out-of-spec samples would be acted upon, and this typically entailed a costly, and time consuming product hold at the warehouse, or even worse, a recall from distribution.
To be successful in today’s competitive food industry, dairy processors must do it right, and preferably do it right the first time. However, we do not live in a perfect world, and mistakes happen. Products do fall out of spec. In these situations, dairy processors need timely results in order to improve the process NOW. As Henry Kissinger once said, "Next week there can’t be any crisis. My schedule is already full."
Lab Equipment suppliers at this year’s IFT show will exhibit instruments, tests and various supplies and services to help you prevent a crisis in your dairy lab.
Modernizing the lab
Whether the goal is product development, quality control or government compliance, the push for lower costs and better quality is accelerating.
"Today, as never before, analytical professionals, both in and out of the laboratory, are driven to produce faster and better results with fewer people and financial resources," says Jeff Hovis, dir. of marketing with an electrochemical analysis supplier.
To run a successful lab today, high-performance tests and supplies that are easy to use and produce rapid results are a must. And because of increasing environmental concerns, chemical and sample wastes must be reduced. Simply put, today’s lab must do more with less.
Fortunately, the proliferation of convenient, computer-driven laboratory instruments that yield reliable results in short times are making this possible. Because many tests are simple, operators need only receive minimal training, thus reducing additional costs and enabling more employees to be proficient in conducting tests. However, rapid results are useless if you’re not capitalizing on the timeliness of the data.
And remember, not all tests need to be conducted "in the lab." For many routine tests, such as pH, titratable acidity or salt analysis, walking a sample to the lab delays reaction time. If Good Manufacturing Practices are instilled, various tests can be set-up on castered stainless steel carts inside the production facility. Tests then can be run routinely, ensuring that products are within spec during various stages of the manufacturing process.
Agar alternative
An example of a new, rapid laboratory test is 3M’s Petrifilm[TM] Series 2000 Plates, an alternative to traditional agar plate micro testing.
"Microbiology testing really has not changed significantly in the 100 years since Louis Pasteur and the agar petri dish, "says microbiology specialist Rich Matner. "Now, using new technology that has become available, we have radically reduced the amount of time needed to see bacteria colonies."
Instead of waiting 24 hours to obtain results of coliform colony counts with agar plating, Petrifilm 2000 begins yielding results after 4 hours of incubation. Presumptive coliform colonies may begin to appear at 6 hours of incubation, and confirmed colonies after 8 hours. Catastrophic coliform contamination may be apparent after only 4 hours.
To achieve rapid read-out, Petrifilm 2000 plates use accelerated media coupled with high pH sensitivity to make it easier to identify and count colonies that appear. Because samples are placed directly on the film, several steps are eliminated in the extensive preparation of agar petri dishes, thus saving more time. Just like the company’s standard Petrifilm plates, which detect bacteria colonies in the same amount of time as the agar pour plate method, Petrifilm 2000 plates are significantly smaller, thus reducing waste.
"The plates are very useful if you are prepared to take corrective action," says Barry Vermilyea, dir. of quality control operations-dairy foods, Land O’ Lakes, Arden Hills, Minn. He sees a great deal of potential in the plates’ simplicity and space-saving design, as well as the easy uptake by less-skilled users, and the absence of disposables and complicated hardware and software.
"Petrifilm frees up time. It’s quick and easy," says John Cettel, Dutch Girl Ice Cream Co., Eugene, Ore. It enables employees to spend more time in the production area, and reduces overtime and overall lab costs.
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