Microbiology

Food microbiology is the study of microorganisms in food. Preventing microbiological food spoilage and food poisoning are priorities for all manufacturers and retailers. Below is a collection of articles on food microbiology. To find out more about our microbiology services get in touch – support@campdenbri.co.uk.

E. coli growth being scraped on an agar plate

Understanding and controlling the threat of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli

Demystifying E. coli , STEC, VTEC and O157, looking at the difference between Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) and non- Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, an...


Blog
Audience at a conference

Campden BRI conference - New ingredients, new processes: managing established risks

This conference, held at IFE Manufacturing, London, will focus on managing established risks when it comes to introducing new ingredients and new processes t...


Events
Chicken breast being packed on a production line

Validation trial for Blakbear Ltd’s freshness indicator

Blakbear’s mission is to expedite the transition away from fixed use-by dates, by bringing quality assurance to every package.


Case studies
Campden BRI scientist looking through microscope

Pathogen risks to be aware of – lessons from recent recalls and outbreaks

An overview of the foodborne pathogens of concern in the food processing environment and the food chain, drawing on recent outbreak and recall information.


Blog
Beer being analysed in laboratory with microscope

5 reasons to optimise the pasteurisation of your beer and low pH beverages

Greg Rachon, Brewing Microbiology Section Lead, explains the benefits to beverage manufacturers of optimising their pasteurisation processes.


Blog
Raspberries on pulsed electric field kit

Process validations for non-thermal and new technologies – have you validated the worst case?

We have explored factors outside those commonly considered in process validations, and found significant and substantial effects on the log reductions achiev...


Blog
Dry foods in bowls on table

Accelerated shelf-life testing of food and beverage products

Here we outline the services we offer in this area, signpost other useful tools, and unpack some of the key considerations and limitations for conducting acc...


Blog
Shelf life

Predictive modelling to determine shelf-life – what can it tell us?

Predictive modelling is a tool used to assess the survival and/or growth of a microorganism under a range of temperatures, pH and water activities.


Blog
Shoppers comparing drinks at instore fridge

‘Use by’, ‘best before’, ‘display until’ – what’s the difference and why does it matter?

We’re all aware of the various date marks that appear on food labels, such as ‘use by’, ‘best before’ and ‘display until’. But, let’s look at what they actua...


Blog
Neogen logo

Neogen: delivering method validation services

Neogen, a global provider of food safety solutions and services, have developed a rapid, alternative method for testing the commercial sterility of UHT treat...


Case studies
Retort

CTemp sales help to continue our work in ensuring safe thermal processes for heat preservation of food and drink

Thermal processing standards set here are still applied to ensure food safety today. Here we talk about our thermal process calculation software as well as o...


Blog
Air fryer cooking wedges

Want air fryer cooking instructions on pack? Here’s more detail from Greg Hooper, Instruction Services Manager on why this is such a challenge

Despite the popularity and success of air fryers, the variability of cooking performance currently presents a food safety barrier to cooking instruction vali...


Blog
Microbiology MIG

Webinar: Microbiology MIG - Autumn 2022

Your Member Interest Groups (MIGs) meetings were online this Autumn. Tuesday 22nd November 2022


Webinar
Drink cans being toasted

Challenge testing of canned drinks - Are yours microbiologically stable?

With product formulation, processing technologies and transport exposing canned drinks to microbiological risks, understanding if a product is microbiologica...


Blog
Dog eating out of pet food bowl

Pet foods and the unknown risk to human health

Over the years, the pet food industry has suffered several foods scares resulting in adverse health effects to those owning pets and financial impacts. In th...


Blog
Microbiology MIG

Webinar: Microbiology MIG - Spring 2022

Your Member Interest Groups (MIGs) meetings were online this Spring. Tuesday 22 March 2022


Webinar
revtech

Ensure product safety through process validation and challenge testing

Food Business Operators must validate their microbial kill steps. When the process does not allow for the use of temperature sensors, or there is a lack of a...


Blog
Sustainability globe graphic in hand

Superchilled sustainability

Lesley Galpin, Head of Technical at Lyons Seafoods, shares her key learning around the implementation of superchilling, as a method to extend the shelf-life ...


Blog
Seafood on ice

Superchilling has positive impacts on food preservation and energy consumption

With over 10 year’s experience of helping the industry to superchill their products, we are the food and drink sector’s preferred choice to support with exte...


Case studies
Microbiology MIG

Webinar: Microbiology MIG - Autumn 2021

Your Member Interest Groups (MIGs) meetings were online this Autumn. Tuesday 14 September 2021.


Webinar
Contamination issues: Which foods are prone to which pathogens? And why?

Contamination issues: Which foods are prone to which pathogens? And why?

Which foods are prone to which pathogens? Knowing this can help you prepare to prevent issues from specific pathogenic organisms.


Blog
How is the industry demonstrating control of Listeria? Survey reveals all

How is the industry demonstrating control of Listeria? Survey reveals all

Do you struggle to demonstrate control of Listeria to customers and enforcement authorities? You’re not alone. Find out how we’re helping the industry with t...


Blog
UK Salmonella outbreak - the chicken bites that bite back

UK Salmonella outbreak - the chicken bites that bite back

You’ve likely heard of the UK’s large food poisoning issue associated with Salmonella enteritidis. It’s linked to certain retailer-sold breaded chicken produ...


Blog
Food safety guideline

Revised food safety guideline

Phil Voysey discusses the importance of a guideline on cleaning and disinfecting food factories, and the approaches taken to update one already in circulation.


Blog
Listeria in ready to eat foods

Demonstrating control of Listeria within ready-to-eat foods

Approaches that demonstrate control of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods have different values in terms of the strength of evidence they provide.


Research project
Chanterelle mushrooms

Mushroom-related outbreaks – what caused them?

Salmonella, Listeria and Staphylococcus have all been linked to mushrooms, even as recently as this year.


Blog
Micro plates

What’s hot in food microbiology? Conference reveals all

As COVID-19 continues to impact the food and drink sector, our team at Campden BRI held a three-day online conference to help the industry.


Blog
What effect does novel packaging have on microflora?

What effect does novel packaging have on microflora?

Today’s food packaging landscape is driven by the desire to minimise environmental impact while maximising shelf-life and presenting products attractively to...


Blog
Shiga toxin

E. coli vs. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli - what’s the difference and what’s the problem?

confused about the terms used for different groups of Escherichia coli and their relative food safety risks?


Blog
Antimicrobial onions – which pathogens could they conceal?

Antimicrobial onions – which pathogens could they conceal?

It won’t surprise you that these eye-irritating bulbs contain a chemical molecule that bears antimicrobial activity.


Blog
Pathogenic E. coli in flour: A food safety hazard?

Pathogenic E. coli in flour: A food safety hazard?

Early in 2020 the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) published an extensive paper on the sources, risks and prevention of pathogenic E. coli ...


Blog
Can we assume consumers’ fridges are at a safe temperature?

Can we assume consumers’ fridges are at a safe temperature?

Current UK Food Standards Agency guidance is that chilled foods should be stored at 5°C throughout life even though the legal maximum temperature for chill i...


Blog
Listeria

Listeria - an overview

Listeria monocytogenes is a pathogen that poses a significant risk to consumers if not kept under control.


Video
Virus

COVID-19 outbreak

We have produced a short video summarising the main points around coronavirus and COVID-19 in relation to food and drink.


Video
Factory hygiene

Better factory hygiene: microbial population dynamics in food factories

Investigating the microflora of factories making different product categories including the changes in microbial populations over the course of a year during...


Research project
Listeria lessons

Listeria lessons

Over the past year Listeria appears to have re-emerged as an organism of great importance, with a number of high-profile outbreaks.


Blog
Sampling for food safety – are you doing it correctly?

Sampling for food safety – are you doing it correctly?

Discusses the importance of sampling correctly to prevent microbiological issues.


Blog
Better factory hygiene

Better factory hygiene

Various conditions are believed to influence microflora in a factory.


Video
Microbiological challenge testing for process lethality - the devil is in the detail

Microbiological challenge testing for process lethality - the devil is in the detail

Microbiological challenge testing is the process of deliberately inoculating a food or drink with a relevant microorganism(s)


White paper
Effective control of viruses in the food manufacturing industry

Effective control of viruses in the food manufacturing industry

This project will provide members with data on the effect of product composition, processing and storage on the survival and inactivation of various surrogates.


Research project
Listeria control

Demonstrating control of Listeria in food

A challenge for food business operators when showing effective control of Listeria in ready-to-eat foods is the uncertainty of whether their evidence to cont...


Video
Shelf-life for chilled products

New way of assessing shelf-life for chilled products

E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria – we’re all aware of the ‘buzzword’ bacteria, but we pay less attention to all the other countless species that naturally occur...


Blog
Shelf life

Microbiological shelf life testing – new approaches

This project aims to reconsider the methods and procedures used to define microbiological shelf life.


Research project
Biofilms

Inactivation of bacterial biofilms – new approaches

The aim of this project is to define the resistance of key spoilage organisms in their biofilm state.


Research project
Listeria

Practical control of Listeria during food production

This project sets out to produce an up to date one-stop-shop guideline document on controlling Listeria during food production.


Research project
Are fridge temperature assumptions correct?

Are fridge temperature assumptions correct?

New research indicates that assumptions about fridge temperatures may not be accurate. Linda Everis, principal research officer at Campden BRI explains its i...


Blog
Maldi-ToF

Rapid confirmation and identification of Campylobacter in foods

Campylobacter are of great importance to the food industry as the major cause of bacterial food poisoning.


Blog
Listeria

Practical control of Listeria during food production

Listeria monocytogenes is a microorganism that creates serious food safety concerns due to its ability to cause food poisoning in humans and high mortality r...


Video
AMP

Improving food quality using advanced microbial profiling

How DNA profiling can reveal so much more about the microbiological quality of food.


Video
Ready meal

Considerations for determining shelf-life

Assigning the correct shelf-life requires a great deal of thought. Obviously, if it is too long there is the potential for food spoilage or growth of food pa...


Blog
AMP

Understanding the safe shelf life of foods using advanced microbial profiling

This project will revaluate microbial specifications for a range of chilled products and analyse the effect that naturally occurring microflora has on the gr...


Research project
Shelf life

Microbiological shelf-life: how to set a safe shelf-life

In this whiteboard presentation, Linda Everis talks us through how to set a shelf-life and some ways of measuring microbiological shelf-life.


Video
Virus research

Hepatitis E - your common questions answered

Hepatitis E produces inflammation of the liver, which is caused by infection with the Hepatitis E Virus (HEV).


Blog
AMP video

Advanced microbial profiling (AMP)

Greg Jones discusses the applications of AMP to the food and drink industry, such a factory hygiene, traceability, authenticity and shelf life. (Greg Jones)


Video
AMP

New insights for spoilage, shelf life and contamination of meat and fish products with advanced microbial profiling

AMP is a powerful DNA technique that we use at Campden BRI to determine the unique mix of microorganisms in a sample without needing to culture them in the lab.


White paper
Microbiology webinar

Developments in food microbiology

This session reviews some of the recent microbiological issues from across the food industry, including current challenges and developments ...


Webinar
Rapid microbial identification

Rapid microbial identification

We have greatly enhanced the capacity and speed of our microbial identification capabilities by acquiring a MALDI–ToF mass spetrometry system. (Julie Archer)


Video
Microbial Whole Genome Sequencing

Microbial Whole Genome Sequencing

Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) is a technique that enables the complete DNA base sequence of a microorganism to be determined.


White paper
Metagenomics

Microbial metagenomics and the food industry

Metagenomics is a technique that takes advantage of recent advances in DNA sequencing technology allowing huge numbers of different individual DNA sequences ...


White paper
Microbiology process hall

Microbiology process hall

Our microbiology process hall allows us to incorporate pathogens into studies and evaluate how processes reduce and eliminate contamination. (Joy Gaze)


Video
Micro models

Predictive microbiological models

Predictive microbiological models are tools that can be used to assess product shelflife and safety.


White paper
Fresh produce

Fresh produce decontamination

In recent years, the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables has increased, largely due to advice on healthy eating and because exotic varieties of both ar...


Blog
Virus

Foodborne viruses - what they cause, how they get into food, and what we can do about it

In recent years there has been an ever increasing awareness of the threat of foodborne viruses in the global food supply chain.


White paper
Micro ID

Challenges in microbiological identification

Julie Archer, Microbiologist discusses some of the common issues and challenges in microbiological identification


Blog
Microbiological criteria

Microbiological criteria for food and drink

Research project will provide much-needed guidance and advice on what levels of microorganisms would be acceptable in different foodstuffs. (Phil Voysey)


Video
Pasteurised food shelf life

Pasteurised chilled food shelf life

Linda Everis discusses the effects of spoilage organisms and heat processing on product shelf life.


Podcast
Dry ingredients

Safeguarding dry ingredients

Studies have shown that levels of Salmonella artificially inoculated on nuts were largely unchanged after 18 months


Blog
Virus detection

Foodborne viruses – the known unknowns

While the microbiological hazards posed by Listeria, Salmonella, Campylobacter and E.coli in food are well known.


Blog
Innocent Logo

High pressure processing of Innocent vegetable juices

Innocent Drinks partnered with us for support in investigating how high pressure processing (HPP) could be applied to their vegetable juices to improve quali...


Case studies
Plate and pizza

New Product Development: Safety first

Over recent years, there has been much development of new food and drink products which are lower in salt, sugar and fat and thus offer a healthier option to...


Blog
Process technologies

Microbiological aspects and considerations of a range of process technologies

The development, evaluation, commissioning and validation of new process technologies has one common goal.


White paper
Micro plate

Microbiology process hall

We have been most fortunate to have had the opportunity to expand our facilities to include a process hall dedicated to microbiological studies.


Blog
Sous Vide

Sous Vide

Sous vide is the cooking of a vacuum–packed product at a low temperature in a water bath.


Video
Chilled foods

Microbiological safety and quality of chilled pasteurised food products

Over the past 20 years or so, the chilled foods industry has been using two target pasteurisation processes for products such as chilled soups, sauces, ready...


White paper
Practical microbiology training

Practical microbiology training

This document identifies the key areas of microbiological training required by industry personnel to fulfil their tasks.


White paper
Laboratory

Complying with Microbiological Criteria

The production of safe foods is a priority for all manufacturers. The adoption of systems such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Hazard Ana...


Blog
Virus detection

Food borne virus detection

Over recent years there has been an increase in the level of food borne illness associated with food contaminated with viruses.


Blog
Shiga toxin

Detection of Shiga Toxin producing Escherchia coli (STEC)

There are hundreds of serotypes of E. coli. Many can be found in the intestines of animals.


Blog
Proficiency

Microbiology proficiency testing schemes factsheet

This fact sheet briefly outlines how proficiency schemes work, and why they are important.


White paper
Process validation

Surrogates for process validation

In my blog this time last year, I mentioned in passing the use of surrogate microorganisms in process validation regimes.


Blog
Micro plates

Ensuring reliable microbiological analysis

The results from microbiological analysis play a critical role in the effective management of food safety and quality, and it is vital that the user of such ...


Blog
Plate count

The microbiology of process validation

The evaluation of the effectiveness of any food preservation process to reduce the target microbiological population is complicated.


Blog
Laboratory work

How proficient is your microbiology laboratory?

In the food industry, major decisions are made on the basis of analytical results. It is absolutely imperative that the results are right and interpreted cor...


Blog
Moulds

Yeasts and moulds – they get everywhere!

Fungi (yeasts and moulds) cause a variety of problems throughout the food industry – some of which are 'hidden'.


White paper
Laboratory

Is your laboratory safe and fit for purpose?

Microbiological analysis needs to be closely controlled for the user of the results to have confidence in their reliability.


Blog
Hyserve Logo

Microbiological methods

Helping companies validate their microbiological methods.


Case studies
Controlling Listeria

'Hurdle technology' and 'sub-lethal stresses' in controlling Listeria

Microbiologist Greg Jones describes a project looking afresh at 'hurdle technology' and 'sub-lethal stresses' in controlling Listeria.


Podcast
Dry foods

Salmonella in dry foods

There is growing concern for the potential presence and survival of Salmonella in low–water–activity ('dry') products.


Blog
Chemical hazards

Chemical hazards in food*

This review gives a broad overview of the types of chemical hazards that can occur in foodstuffs.


White paper
Shelf life

How to determine product microbiological shelf–life

In determining the shelf-life of a particular food, the first pre-requisite is to know what particular characteristic of the food is going to be the limiting...


White paper
Washing fresh produce

Washing fresh produce

Reducing pathogens on fresh produce.


Case studies

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