Research projects

About

Microbiological criteria are essential in food and beverage production as they help ensure safety, quality, and compliance by setting limits for harmful microorganisms, thereby protecting public health and supporting regulatory and industry standards. At present, there is no industry guidance for the microbiological criteria of beers and related products and this, very often, creates confusion about the microbiological load/criteria of beers and related materials. Providing guidance for brewers could be both educational and also will set the level of quality at a certain level and would help brewers maintain or improve the quality of their products. This would also help brewers/quality managers to decide if any action has to be taken when the level of microorganisms reaches high levels. The outcome of this project will be to create microbiological criteria which could be used by all: big, medium and small breweries. The intention is to create this as a guidance document. It is expected that the following products/materials will be covered by this guidance; pasteurised beer, unpasteurised beer, premium beer, alcohol-free beer, cask, keg, draught beer, brewing yeast, wort, malt, hops (cones, pellets, extracts), adjuncts or water. It is also expected that some additional materials will be identified added and investigated. Producing this guideline provides an opportunity to connect with our members in the brewing industry, particularly those based in the UK which are underutilising our services. This guideline will likely increase the number of routine microbiological samples that Campden BRI processes.

Outputs

• Presentation: Fermented and Alcoholic Drinks MIG - Spring 2026

About

Project information coming soon.

Outputs

• Presentation: Cereals, Milling and Baking MIG and Microbiology MIG - Spring 2026

About

Project information coming soon.

Outputs

• Presentation: Raw materials and ingredients MIG - Spring 2025

About

Project information coming soon.

About

Pectinatus and Megasphaera are anaerobic beer spoiling bacteria that cause turbidity and unpleasant sulphur-based off odours, leading to significant quality and economic impacts for brewers. Their strict anaerobic nature makes them difficult to detect reliably, and current microbiological methods can produce false negatives. This research project aims to improve detection by identifying the most effective agars and microbiological techniques, examining the metabolites these organisms produce for potential early warning indicators, and assessing their heat resistance to support breweries in preventing spoilage and maintaining product quality.

Outputs

• Presentation: Fermented and Alcoholic Drinks MIG - Spring 2026

About

Why are we doing this project?

As with other sectors in the food industry, the poultry industry is increasingly facing the challenge of food fraud, where there is potential for lower-quality chicken meat to be sold as meat from premium breeds. This not only misleads consumers but also poses risks to public health and undermines the industry's integrity. In order to combat fraudulent activities, the food industry needs an accurate, reliable method of identifying one breed from another.

How are we addressing this issue?

Different chicken breeds will have a unique genetic profile and this project aims to address potential errors in the poultry supply chain, by developing a genomic analysis service to identify the breed of broiler chickens from meat samples. This initiative will establish methods for DNA extraction and sequencing, develop a bioinformatic pipeline for data analysis, and create a comprehensive breed database. By conducting blind validation trials, we will ensure the accuracy and reliability of the breed identification method. This service will enable precise breed verification, ensuring product authenticity and enhancing food safety and quality in the poultry sector.

About

Why are we doing this project?

There are several food borne pathogens that produce toxins during their growth cycle, and it is these toxins rather than the organisms themselves that are responsible for food poisoning illnesses such as diarrhoea, gastroenteritis or worse. Controlling factors for growth of the organisms are well known but conversely, little is known about the conditions under which some key toxin-producing bacterial pathogens produce toxins in foods. Such information would aid effective food safety management strategies.

How are we addressing this issue?

This project aims to enhance our understanding of key toxin-producing foodborne pathogens— Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus group, and Clostridium botulinum— by identifying the environmental conditions that trigger toxin production. By focusing on critical factors such as temperature, pH, and water activity, we will explore the specific thresholds that promote toxin generation. The research will also refine methods for detecting these toxins in food, contributing to improved food safety protocols. The outcomes will bolster Campden BRI’s testing capabilities and knowledge regarding these pathogens, leading to more effective food safety strategies and intervention techniques to prevent food intoxication.

Outputs

• Blog: Working to decipher toxigenic profiles in foodborne bacterial pathogens
• Presentation: Microbiology MIG - Spring 2025

About

This project aims to enhance and expand Campden BRI's molecular capabilities, building on our next-generation sequencing services for members and clients. We are developing our whole genome sequencing (WGS) service with in-house trials to demonstrate its accuracy and effectiveness in identifying bacteria and yeasts (with moulds to follow later) to the highest level of identification currently possible. Furthermore, we are tailoring this service to meet the specific needs of our members by conducting additional research in two key areas: probiotics and spoilage within the brewing industry. By the conclusion of this project, whole genome sequencing will be an integral part of our molecular toolbox, designed to support your specific requirements.

Progress

Current work involves validating our methods against known sequenced genomes for probiotics and those associated with beverage spoilage. Our bioinformatics pipeline has been developed, and we plan to test it on unknown isolates in the new year. This approach will enable us to uncover new insights and expand our service offering beyond basic identification, allowing us to better meet the diverse needs of our members and clients, tailored to their specific situations.

Outputs

• Presentation: Microbiology MIG - Spring 2026
• Presentation: Microbiology MIG - Spring 2025

About

In this project, the key beverage producers will be invited to cooperate. They will be asked to supply one or two products which will be used for validation. A minimum of ten different beverages (alcoholic and alcohol-free, beers, ciders, cocktails, soft drinks etc.) will be tested in this study. D and z-values of our yeast ascospores bioindicator and Enterococcus faecium NRRL B-2354 will be determined in each liquid, at 4 - 5 different pasteurisation temperatures (65 - 80°C), using the flask method and based on these values the optimised pasteurisation level will be calculated and verification trials will be performed in pilot plant flash pasteuriser (to be purchased). For each product, four trials (each at a different temperature/time condition) will be performed. One of these will be performed at standard pasteurisation conditions and the other three will be performed at optimised conditions. The energy consumption will be measured for each trial and usage compared. The outcome of the project will be presented at MIGs and several key conferences such as World Brewing Congress, Trends in Brewing, EBC/Brewers of Europe, IBD - Asia Pacific and on BruLab - Spotify/Apple podcast.

Progress

The heat inactivation experiments at four temperatures: 60, 65, 70 and 75°C, using ten different liquids, have been completed. The results confirmed our predictions that Enterococcus faecium NRRL B-2354 exhibits greater heat resistance at higher temperatures (above 65-70°C) compared to the pasteurisation bioindicator, Saccharomyces cerevisiae BRYC 501 ascospores. Our findings indicate that at lower temperatures (60 and 65°C), the D values of the yeast ascospores were higher than those of E. faecium. Conversely, at temperatures of 70°C and 75°C, the D values of E. faecium were higher than those of the ascospores. This trend is also reflected in the greater z-values of E. faecium. In the next phase of this study, we will conduct 20 flash pasteurisation trials with both microorganisms across all ten beverages. The objective of these trials is to verify whether E. faecium is indeed more heat-resistant than yeast ascospores under flash pasteurisation conditions.

Outputs

• Presentation: Fermented and Alcoholic Drinks MIG - Spring 2025
• Article: Heat resistance of Lacrobacillus brevis, Pediococcus acidilactici and Enterococcus faecium in buffer (pH 4), alcoholic and alcohol-free beer. Journal of the Institute of Brewing (2024)

About

Rising costs of nitrogen fertiliser, the environmental impact of run-off and the carbon footprint of its production create pressure on the availability of high protein wheat. Although bread remains an important source of protein in the diet, members have challenged us to identify approaches to achieve good bread with lower protein wheat. This was one of the benefits of the Chorleywood bread process (CBP), but the challenge is to go further. Plant breeders seek to develop wheat varieties that deliver good gluten functionality from minimal nitrogen inputs. This project instead evaluates several potential baking process and recipe approaches.

Progress

Flours have been sourced with relevant variations in protein content and quality. We have planned several potential protein reduction strategies for trial. Characterisation of flours has been planned with baking trials to follow.