Food

MICROBIOLOGY LABORATORY

The microbiology laboratory performs all the necessary analyses to determine microbiological parameters of products, processes and working places by supporting the customer in the solution of the problems that may arise during food work processes.

Research of pathogen microorganisms (Salmonella, Listeria, Vibrio, Campylobacter, Clostridium Botulinum, Yersinia, and son on) in foodstuffs, raw materials, semi manufactured products, environmental buffers.

Definition of index parameters and contamination index (total microbial count, thermotolerant coliform bacteria , escherichia coli, coagulase-positive stafilococci, and so on).
Study of bacteria involved in the organoleptic defects (pseudomonas Spp., proteolytic bacteria, lipolytic bacteria, total anaerobic bacteria, alicyclobacillus, acetobacters, etc.).

Thanks to the highly qualified staff, constituted by 25 technicians, the laboratory is able to study the organoleptic defects and the shelf life of different products, to solve environmental contaminations and to determine the efficacy of the sanification processes.

The analytical offer is completed by the following activities:

Pathogen determination in food division using quick methods (e.g. VIDAS and GeneVision)
Studies on probiotic lactic acid bacteria

for the selective determination, for example, of casei/paracasei Lactobacillus, L. acidophilus, L. bulcaricus, L. soprogenes

Analyses on solid impurities in foodstuffs (Filth Test) through AOAC methods for the most suitable treatment of the matrix before its microscope observation

Determination of animal residues in feed

Quantitative analysis of water-soluble vitamins in food integrators and products destined to feed. Specifically, the laboratory quantifies vitamins of the B group (B3, PP vitamin or niacin; B5 or pantothenic acid; B6 or pyridoxine; B8, H vitamin or biotin; B9 or folic acid; B12 or cyanocobalamin)
Vitamin determination is performed by studying the growth of a vitamin-dependent mutant microorganism. The microorganism growth is proportional to the logarithm of the vitamin quantity and it is analyzed spectrophotometrically

Identification of bacteria and mycetes through standard system (microscopy and preliminary biochemical tests)
Identification of bacteria and mycetes with a Biolog System. Thanks to this technique it is possible to monitor at the same time and automatically till 96 different biochemical reactions comparing the obtained results with a constantly updated data bank. The laboratory collaborates with the PCR unit which supports it for the genetic identification of various organisms

The methods are mostly official or recognised at an international level; most of tests are SINAL accredited.

The collaboration with lots of University research centres and Public Laboratories assure a continuous staff updating and a quick definition of new analytical methods to individuate new parameters.

Instruments of microbiology laboratory:

The laboratory is equipped with all standard instruments for the microbiological analysis and with automated systems for the production standardization and control such as:

automatic preparation of plates with built-autoclave

automatic device for the preparation of dilution tubes

balances with automatic diluter for the sample preparation

anaerobic hood intended for the incubations to be performed without oxygen

VIDAS system for the analysis of Salmonella, Listeria and staphylococcal enterotoxins

BIOLOG system for the identification of bacteria and mycetes