Keeping up with the new FDA Regulations on Food & Beverages; The Proof is in the Pudding (Or in this case, the filter!)

In 2015, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) signed off on new legislation to finalize the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which requires food and beverage manufacturers to be more proactive to minimizing food-borne contamination from microorganisms. The FDA now places more effort on the individual companies to test food products according to the new guidelines in various parts of the production process. These processes can be ideal places to draw fluid samples for bacterial capture and subsequent analysis. The use of membrane filters to evaluate bioburden in these types of liquids is the standard means of recovering and quantifying potentially harmful microorganisms. Does this sound like it makes for more work for the food processors in our communities? It might, but Sterlitech Corporation can help!

According to the new regulations, high-risk food producers will be inspected more frequently, will have to maintain more detailed records, and establish clear food safety plans. The legislation, the largest change of its kind since 1938, places the responsibility of maintaining food safety into a system of federal oversight similar to that for the pharmaceutical industry. In most food processing techniques, water-based processes are employed to wash, extract, mix, dilute, or enhance the way a particular food or beverage is made or tastes. Sterlitech Corporation offers different options to food safety workers for testing in these process streams. These filers are re-usable or disposable filter assemblies and streamline much of the work in testing for or reducing microbial contamination.

Sterlitech’s Disposable Microbiological Filter Funnels are ideal tools for testing small liquid samples for bacterial contamination. They are pre-sterilized, individually packaged, and they use a proprietary nitrocellulose ester (MCE) membrane that is very sticky to bacteria, enabling their capture. Once a liquid sample is passed through the funnel, the funnel wall and cap can be easily lifted off the base. The cap (with a built in magnifying lens) can then be placed on the base, and the two fitted together form a petri dish over the membrane. A cellulose pad exists under the MCE filter to allow incubation with a culture media of your choosing. The membranes are gridded and allow for easy quantification of colony forming units (CFU’s) for each process.

If a more reusable approach is needed, Sterlitech also offers a variety of easy-to-use Polysulfone Filter Funnel assemblies that are reusable with almost any membrane of your choice. Two of these designs utilize magnetic locks for easy, one-handed operation and setup. All designs are autoclavable and easily paired with our pre-sterilized MCE filters, which come in a variety of pore sizes, colors, and gridded options. When numerous samples need to be processed and can be easily set up with a manifold collection system, these re-usable filter funnels are efficient and help minimize overall cost.

If your workload to maintain the safety of our foods and beverages according to the new FDA guidelines looks a little overwhelming, give Sterlitech Corporation a call or email for assistance in selecting the best tools from our filtration products to make your job easier.