Food safety is a paramount concern for individuals, communities, and nations around the world. The field of food science plays a crucial role in safeguarding our plates by employing scientific knowledge and principles to prevent foodborne illnesses, mitigate risks, and ensure the overall safety of our food supply. In this blog, we will delve into […]
The food industry is a massive one, with lots of departments and regulations. In this article, find out which regulatory agencies exist and what they do in order to make sure that the food we eat is safe. Local Health Departments Local health departments are responsible for ensuring that food service establishments such as restaurants, […]
Bacteria can be classified in several ways. Learning how they are classified can help us to better control or manipulate them. Here are nine ways in which bacteria are classified. Based on Stain Bacteria a classified as gram positive or gram negative. Gram positive stains purple while gram negative stains pink. The difference is due […]
What are Notifiable Diseases? Infectious diseases are diseases that occurs when pathogens (disease-causing agents) get into our bodies. They are usually in the form of bacteria and viruses but may also include parasites. Consider common diseases that require immunization such as measles, mumps, tetanus and chicken pox. These are all due to infectious pathogens. Some infectious diseases […]
What is Gram Staining? This Gram staining lab is a method developed by the Danish Scientist Hans Christian Gram in 1884 to distinguish two types of bacteria based on the structure of their cell wall. Gram-positive bacteria stain purple because of its thick peptidoglycan layer in the cell wall. Gram-negative bacteria will stain pink due […]
Microbial analysis is used in the food industry to determine the microbial content of foods and as a verification, measurement to determine the adequacy of cleaning and sanitation. Common tests that you will encounter include the following. Aerobic Plate Count (APC): This test is also called aerobic colony count, standard plate count (SPC) and total […]
Objective To determine cleanliness of food contact surface Background A food contact surface is a surface in a food processing facility that normally comes into contact with food during its preparation. These surfaces may include processing equipment, cutting boards, utensils, sinks, counters and tabletops. They must be properly cleaned before use in food production. […]
Introduction On September 1928, Alexander Fleming, Professor of Bacteriology at St. Mary’s Hospital in London was sorting through petridishes of Staphylococcus culture when he noticed that one of the petridishes had a growth of mold. He noticed interestingly that the zone around the mold was clear of bacteria. This indicated that the mold was producing […]
There are several common sources of pathogens that you should be aware of. The ones discussed in this article include irrigation water, soil, animals, insects, the processing environment, air and fomites. Understanding how these sources cause infection and illness may help to keep us safe. Irrigation water Waterborne pathogens may live on plant surfaces and […]
