Microbial analysis of food is integral to assuring food safety and quality. This laboratory has been performing microbial analysis on different kinds of food (e.g., milk and milk products, meat and meat products, cereals and cereal products, vegetables, fruit juices, teas, alcoholic beverages, water, chocolate, etc.) and analysing environmental samples from the food industry since 2000. Shelf-life studies on foods are performed for the food industry to determine the best before dates. All the techniques employed by this laboratory for food analysis are recommended by the International Standards Organisation (ISO) or validated by the French Association of Standardisation (AFNOR). This laboratory also uses the very sophisticated Biolog® apparatus to rapidly determine the identity of food pathogens and food spoilage bacteria.

Services include:

• Food safety determination (E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, Listeria, Clostridium, etc.)
• Food quality determination (total bacteria, coliform, lactic acid bacteria, Pseudomonas, psychrotolerant bacteria, yeast and mould counts)
• Food surfaces, hands and air quality determination
• Shelf-life studies (for use-by and sell-by dates)
• Identification of food pathogens
• Identification of food spoilage bacteria

Prof Celia Hugo

hugocj@ufs.ac.za
051 401 2692