LAB Business May/June 2016

ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLING

DAVID SUZUKI Wanted: healthy biosphere

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May/June 2016

THE

FOOD ISSUE

From seeds to safety to product development, labs have a critical role in the food chain

Critical testing in food facilities

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CONTENTS 10

THE FOOD INVESTIGATORS

ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLING IN FOOD FACILITIES

When there is a food-borne pathogen outbreak in Canada, Bio|Food|Tech is on the scene taking samples, doing analyses, and reforming standards and procedures so it doesn’t happen again.

It is critical in a food processing sector facility to maintain a strong environmental monitoring program.

HEALTHY BIOSPHERE, HEALTHY HUMANS By davId SuZuKI

As we contemplate environmental reform, we should remember that our health is tied to that of the environment.

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STANDARDS GUEST editorial 5 CANADIAN news 6 LAB ware 20 TECH watch 22 MOMENTS in time 23

By gaBrIela MartIneZ

By HerMIone wIlSon

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Do the flip! to read about agricultural biologicals RegionaL PRofiLe

Melbourne anchors Australian biotech sector 8

Wanted: healthy biosphere

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Law

Competition Bureau updates IP enforcement guidelines 18

EnvironmEntal Sampling

DaviD Suzuki The DefiniTive Source for Lab ProDucTS, newS anD DeveLoPmenTS

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May/June 2016

moments in time

Genetically modified salmon approved for North American consumption 23

MAy/juNe 2016

Critical testing in food facilities

May/June 2016

on twItter at @ biolabmag

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Room to

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SUZUKI matters

The

Food Issue

From seeds to safety to product development, labs have a critical role in the food chain

Agricultural biologicals take off, balancing industry’s needs with the sustainability consumers crave

@

on faceBooK at /biolabmag

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Robert Price

I’

ve heard that the current popularity of zombie films stems from our fear of social dissolution. We watch The Walking Dead – one of the most popular TV shows ever – because it helps to prepare us for a world without the social (and natural) laws we take for granted.

Perhaps so. But Mad Men was huge, and I don’t think anybody watched that as a way to train for the 1960s. And I’m not sure how many people watched The Wire, no doubt one of the most literary shows ever to air, to learn about surviving on the street – although it does teach us how to play The Game.

Still, there may be truth in reading apocalyptic pop culture as a training guide for the end times. Society can become unmoored without anchors. The anchor we can’t afford to lose is science.

We should all worry, then, about reports of widespread fraud, misconduct, sloppiness, and irreproducible results across most scientific disciplines. The trouble reached boiling point in the summer of 2015, when Open Science Collaboration (OSC) went public with bad news: it could not reproduce the results of 100 psychology experiments published in prominent journals.

Bayer, the pharmaceutical company, conducted a similar experiment in 2011 to test the veracity of claims in biomedical science. Of the studies it surveyed – all related to drug discovery – 65 per cent did not match the claims made by the researchers.

The authors of the OSC study jousted with critics about methods used in the critique, but the point was made: science is shaky and the magnitude of the problem is larger than many might have suspected. The dearth of new drugs – the “empty pipeline” – may be in part caused by failed experimentation taken as valid, suggests Khusru Asadullah, who led the study for Bayer.

The reproducibility crisis is distinct from fraud perpetrated by researchers who fake experiments and lie about test results. But what links fraud and irreproducibility is the failure of peer reviewers to catch fraudulent or erroneous results before they are published. Once published, it’s rarely caught as it retains the sheen of authority given to it by peer review.

In the wake of studies examining shortcomings in research, major organizations, like the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and major publications have moved to shore up peer review. Now, many publications, like Psychological Science, ask researchers to pre-register methods before conducting research. (By pre-registering methods, researchers will be unable to apply different methods during analysis in hopes of finding the results they’re looking for.) More needs to be done. More findings need to be tested by replication groups before studies are published. More journals should publish negative results. Assuming no one breeches research ethics, study data should be made publicly available. Respectable journals should do away with any schemes that allow researchers to pay to fast-track peer review. And it will help if for-profit publications – which are doing very well – build a structure that pays reviewers blindly for peer review. Finally, the entire enterprise can afford to slow down. The rush to publish, lest one perish, contributes to an environment where scientists cut corners and amplify, or invent, positive results. We should give researchers, whose work we prize so much, enough time to think.

The damage done by liars can’t be understated. Scientists are trusted; they have influence. If they say vaccinations cause autism, huge segments of the population believe them, even years after the claims are proven to have been cooked.

The problem is close to home. In fact, it’s in our homes. The chemicals in the cupboard and much of the food we eat has, at some point, filtered through the peer review process. We need our food science to be trustworthy because we need healthy food. But we also need a system that can distinguish between the authoritative scientist and the charlatan. There are plenty of charlatans making a living telling us what’s good for us based on what the stars tell them. We should ask scientists to give us the true, unvarnished facts about the world around us, not the facts that will improve their career prospects.

Robert Price is the former Managing Editor of this publication. Follow him @pricerobertg.

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Canadian NEWS Simulation Could Replace Clinical Placements in Med Lab Profession

Dr. B. Mario Pinto, President, NSERC, speaks at the Science Odyssey launch event in Vancouver.

Canada Celebrates the Sciences with Science Odyssey

T

he Natural Sciences and Research Council (NSERC) held a celebration of the accomplishments of Canada’s scientific community from May 6 to 15. Science Odyssey, which evolved from the National Science and Technology Week (NSTW), was intended to engage and inspire Canadians of all ages in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The 10-day event included activities such as street celebrations, visits to labs, science fairs, talks and conferences, school field trips, encounters with researchers and scientists, museums and science centres special exhibits, community organizations hosting scientific events, and online activities.

As well as showcasing the scientific, technological and engineering capabilities of Canadian universities, colleges and polytechnics, Science Odyssey served to highlight the work of many other institutions and groups dedicated to science promotion activities.

The event also gave the general public the opportunity to take part in the hundreds of activities planned by inviting them to volunteer to help or organize a science-related event or activity in their own community. Events took place all across the country, from a robotics maker space in Calgary, to a close-up view of the transit of Mercury across the sun in Whitehorse, offered by the Yukon Astronomical Society. Support for these community events were provided in the form of online resources, tips and easy-to-do activities.

Science Odyssey is a collaborative event led by NSERC in collaboration with many other federal departments and agencies and community organizations.

Simulated learning could be the solution to the limited number of clinical placements in the medical laboratory profession. The Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) sponsored a one-day forum for members of the laboratory education community in April to discuss the issue. “There has been a long-standing debate on the use of simulation to enhance and/or replace clinical education,” says CSMLS CEO Christine Nielsen. “Research in nursing and physician education has shown the potential to reduce the duration of clinical placement requirements.”

CRIAQ Holds Research Forum in Quebec The Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in Quebec (CRIAQ) held its 8th Research Forum in April. Some 700 international participants and aerospace industry stakeholders from Quebec and Canada, including members of the press, gathered to discuss new collaborative research and development projects, as well as how to make innovation the core of aerospace efforts. CRIAQ, a non-profit organization formed in 2002, has a mission to increase the competitiveness of the aerospace industry and broaden the sector’s collective knowledge base.

PhD Programs Work, Study Finds

Leah May Walker (UBC), Dr. B. Mario Pinto, President, NSERC, The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science, and Pauline Finn (Science World) attend the Science Odyssey launch event in Vancouver.

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May/June 2016 LAB BUSINESS

A new study has confirmed that PhD programs do lead to jobs in a relevant field. The study, by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario, used an internet-based search to examine the career outcomes of 2,310 doctoral students who graduated from Ontario universities in 2009. Half of the PhDs are working in postsecondary education and more than a third are working in business, industry and other fields outside of academia.

Canadian NEWS Mettler Toledo Offers Lean Lab Checklist

Government Increases Funding for Chemicals Management Plan The Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Catherine McKenna, and the Minister of Health, the Honourable Jane Philpott, announced that $491.8 million will be provided over the next five years to continue delivering on Canada’s Chemicals Management Plan (CMP). The CMP is a comprehensive and integrated strategy for identifying and taking action on substances that are potentially harmful to humans and the environment. The funds will be used to complete the next phase of the CMP, assessing the 1,550 remaining substances of the 4,300 chemicals identified as priorities under the program and developing new environmental rules for pharmaceuticals.

UBC Grad Discovers Four New Planets

T

he Lab Division of Mettler Toledo has announced the development of a new lean lab checklist that can help improve customers’ lab operations.

The checklist will help users gain an overview of their current status and recognize where leaner processes might make sense. It is divided into improvement areas including housekeeping, workload development, workflows, performance management, equipment, and lab personnel skills.

Defining and structuring these aspects of lab life can help users develop more controlled laboratory processes for more Lean lab benefits can include consistent and predictable significantly increased performance. productivity, reduced lead times, Lean lab benefits can lowered costs, improved “right first include significantly increased time,” and a better understanding productivity, reduced lead of capacity and resource times, lowered costs, improved requirements. “right first time,” and a better understanding of capacity and resource requirements.

Individual operators become more empowered to make a difference and a culture of continuous improvement evolves.

Operational changes prompted by the checklist can be initiated in small steps, module-by-module. The Lean Lab Checklist is available for download on the company’s website. Users will also gain access to “Tips and Tricks” that will help avoid weighing errors and a webinar to help eliminate the negative effects of static and drafts on weighing processes.

Recent University of British Columbia graduate Michelle Kunimoto may have discovered a planet outside of our solar system that could support life. The astronomy and physics student was sifting through data from NASA’s Kepler satellite during an internship when she came across promising signs of four new planets, designated “planet candidates” until independently confirmed. Two are the size of Earth, one is Mercury-sized, and one is slightly larger than Neptune. But it’s the last one, the largest of the four, that is of special interest.

Officially catalogued as KOI (Kepler Object of Interest) 408.05 and located 3,200 light years away from Earth, the planet occupies the habitable zone of its star where the temperature would allow liquid water and maybe life.

Quebec to Strengthen Aerospace Industry A new Quebec aerospace strategy was recently unveiled. The MACH FAB 4.0 will provide clear and long-term direction to Quebec’s objectives in terms of developing the aerospace industry by focusing on four priorities: strengthening and diversifying the structure of the industry, fostering industry growth by supporting projects and investing in the workforce, supporting SMEs in their development, and investing in innovation. The MACH FAB 4.0 Initiative will support 50 SMEs in the aerospace sector in their transition to becoming digital companies of the future. A contribution of $9.5 million over five years, to which is added an equivalent contribution from the private sector, is planned.

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Worldwide NEWS New Space Initiative Will Develop Nanocrafts A $100 million research and engineering program has been launched to develop proof of concept for using light beams to propel gram-scale “nanocraft” to 20 per cent of light speed. Internet investor and science philanthropist Yuri Milner and renowned cosmologist Stephen Hawking announced that the new Breakthrough Initiative will focus on space exploration and the search for life on other planets. A possible fly-by mission could reach Alpha Centauri within about 20 years of its launch.

Scientists who Detected Gravitational Waves Recognized

A

number of physicists have been recognized for their contribution to the momentous detection of gravitational waves, 100 years after Albert Einstein predicted their existence. A selection committee announced that a Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics and $3 million award will be shared between two groups of laureates: the three founders of the Laser Interferometer GravitationalThe contributors sharing the prize Wave Observatory (LIGO), who will each equally share $1 million; and include 1,005 authors of the paper 1,012 contributors to the experiment, describing the discovery of who will each equally share $2 million. gravitational waves from the “This amazing achievement lets us numerous institutions involved in observe for the first time some of the LIGO and its sister experiment, the remarkable workings of Einstein’s Virgo Collaboration. theory,” says Edward Witten, Chair of the selection committee. “Theoretical ideas about black holes which were close to being science fiction when I was a student, are now reality.”

The contributors sharing the prize include 1,005 authors of the paper describing the discovery of gravitational waves from the numerous institutions involved in LIGO and its sister experiment, the Virgo Collaboration. Also sharing the prize are seven scientists who made important contributions to the success of LIGO. “This discovery has huge significance,” says Stephen Hawking, who won the Special Breakthrough Prize in 2013. “Firstly, as evidence for general relativity and its predictions of black hole interactions, and secondly as the beginning of a new astronomy that will reveal the universe through a different medium.”

The Special Breakthrough Prize can be conferred at any time in recognition of an extraordinary scientific achievement.

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May/June 2016 LAB BUSINESS

Irish Company Opens Mycotoxin Detection Lab Irish biotech Alltech has opened the first European-based, state-of-the-art mycotoxin analytical services laboratory. According to Alltech’s 2015 European Grains and Forage Harvest Analysis, dairy and beef cattle are at high risk for mycotoxin exposure, while inconsistent weather conditions during the summer of 2015 increased the risk for mycotoxin contamination, leading to irregularities in plant growth and wreaking havoc on the 2015 European crop. The new laboratory will provide much-needed, highthroughput mycotoxin profiling services in Europe to accelerate the detection process.

University of Waterloo Second Heart Project Receives Funding Lockheed Martin Canada has invested $1.1 million into a research project at the University of Waterloo that will explore technology that would reduce the work required by the heart and cardiac system for people engaging in a sustained period of exercise. The goal of the Second Heart project is explore the design and feasibility of a mobile system for calf muscle pulsation that would provide workload reduction on the cardiac system of people such as athletes, soldiers on watch or delivery personnel.

BY DAVID SUZUKI

A Healthy Biosphere means

Healthier Humans I

Dr. David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author, and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation.

Learn more at www.davidsuzuki.org.

magine if scientists came up with an inexpensive, easily administered way to decrease the risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and obesity by 25 to 35 per cent. It would create a sensation and, if patented, would be worth billions. But there’s already a free and simple way to achieve this: exercise.

The human body evolved over millions of years, long before cars, escalators, laptops and remote controls. It’s built to expend effort. Gas-powered vehicles enabled us to move over long distances or get somewhere quickly, but they’re bad medicine when they’re used to go two or three blocks. Our lives are easier but not necessarily healthier. It’s time we put more thought into keeping our bodies active and well, minimizing sickness.

Fitness increases your chances of staying well, but it’s not a guarantee. We still have much to learn about the ways in which genetics and environmental conditions affect health. After the first human genome survey was completed in 2003, we thought DNA sequences would reveal the secrets of disease and speed development of treatments. But despite trillions of dollars spent on research, many cancers are still unsolved and we’ve learned that only a few diseases – such as cystic fibrosis, Huntington’s chorea and sickle cell anemia – are the result of only one gene.

Most conditions result from the interplay of heredity and environment. And because many genes each add a small bit to defects like cancer, heart disease and dementia, magic bullet cures are elusive. Meanwhile, health care costs show little sign of stabilizing, and increasing obesity and an aging population will drive them higher.

Health is about risk management. We can’t choose our parents, so there’s little we can do about the hereditary component of disease unless you subscribe to the promise of technological engineering like gene splicing and editing. But we can influence external factors, like diet, exercise, habits and environment.

Consider air, water and food. We need air every minute of our lives to ignite the fuel in our body to give us energy. We suck two to three litres deep into the warm, moist recesses of our lungs. Our alveoli are smeared with surfactants that reduce surface tension and enable air to stick so oxygen and whatever else is in that breath can enter our bloodstream. Carbon dioxide leaves our body when we exhale. Lungs filter whatever’s in the air.

Deprived of air for three minutes, we die. Forced to live in polluted air, we sicken.

We are 60 to 70 per cent water by weight. Every cell in our body is inflated by water. Water allows metabolic reactions to occur and enables molecules to move within and between cells and, when we drink it, we also take in whatever’s in it, from molecules like DDT and PCBs to viruses, bacteria and parasites.

All the cells and structures of our body are molecules assembled from the debris of plants and animals we consume. If we spray or inject food plants and animals with toxic chemicals, and then consume them, we incorporate those chemicals into our very being, sometimes passing them on to our offspring before they’re even born.

We put effort and money into searching for disease causes. But screening toxic effects of thousands of new molecules every year is painstaking and expensive, so most are never tested. Often, mirroring genetic effects, different molecules, each harmless on its own, may collectively create a problem. Research is beginning to show that even diseases with genetic components, like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, can be triggered by pesticide exposure. When we consider the vast array of chemicals spewed into air, water and soil, predicting those that may interact with each other and our genetic makeup to create health problems is difficult if not impossible.

Our health is tied to air, water and food from the soil. That means we should keep them clean, and stop dumping toxic wastes into them. Our health is also improved by exercise, which should be part of the way we live. Outdoor exercise is especially good. Connecting with nature is beneficial for physical and mental health. Caring for ourselves and the biosphere would pay many times over in improved health and happiness. LB

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The food

I N V E S T I G ATO R S STORY BY

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Hermione Wilson

May/June 2016 LAB BUSINESS

Lab PROFILE

A DIVERSE AND MULTITALENTED LAB IN PEI, BIO|FOOD|TECH HAS ITS FINGERS IN SEVERAL PIES

B

io|Food|Tech is a bustling lab on Prince Edward Island with a staff of 23 people, five of whom are PhDs. The company provides microbial analysis, food safety workshops, on-site nutrition label services, product development services and a host of other functions.

The company is owned by the government of PEI which covers 40 per cent of the lab’s total budget. The remainder comes from work done on a fee-for-service basis. The lab’s main role is to support the local food and beverage industry.

“About half of the work we do in total would be lab work, traditional lab work if you like, and the rest would be broader than that,” says Executive Director Jim Smith. Much of the lab work involves food safety, he says, though it also does work for the biotechnology sector.

The other half of the organization is involved in “project activity,” that is, working with industry clients on innovation projects and new product development in any of its four pilot plants (two dedicated to food and two to biotech).

“What we do is, and it’s in our titling, is ‘Concept to pilot to market.’

So we help companies to come up with ideas for new products and take them through the development process,” Smith says. “The lab is involved in all of that, right from the development of the products through to the scale-up in the lab, development of processes, as well as the analysis of products to make sure that they’re safe for the marketplace.”

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Samples being added to the BAX System at the Bio|Food|Tech lab. Photo credits: Bio|Food|Tech

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May/June 2016 LAB BUSINESS

Bio|Food|Tech’s lab is accredited for a range of different tests by Standards Council of Canada, which means that companies can bring in and test their products and obtain a HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) certificate of analysis so that they can export that product overseas.

“Most companies don’t have labs, so we help them to set up HACCP systems and we also help them with the analysis,” Smith says.

Senior Microbiologist and Lab Manager, Ebo Budu-Amoako, oversees everything at Bio|Food|Tech related to food safety and food microbiology, as well as managing lab resources and consulting with the food industry.

“We work by forming partnerships to become an integral part of the client’s business and supply chain through analytical and quality assurance services,” he says. “We become like an extension of their quality control division. We work for them on a daily basis, we get samples here, and we provide results to them on a daily basis for them to be able to meet these objectives.”

Budu-Amoako’s main focus, and that of his team, is food pathogens like E. coli, Listeria, Salmonella and Vibrio. When there is an outbreak, such as the 2008 Listeria outbreak at a Maple Leaf Foods plant or the 2012 E. coli outbreak in Alberta, Bio|Food|Tech springs into action. It can conduct a needs assessment for a client, or a gap analysis as BuduAmoako calls it, and work to fill that gap with the necessary food safety training and documentation.

“We assist food processing plants in instituting quality and food safety management systems, particularly based on the HACCP food safety system,” he says. “Sometimes the company would have persistent Listeria problems in its products and they would want to know the source of it. We would go to their plant and do an environmental survey,

Lab PROFILE

take samples from various areas of the plant, and then we analyze these samples to see where the problems are coming from.” Once the problem area has been identified, the client would revise their cleaning procedures or even change the type of cleaners used. Then they would retest until they achieved three or five subsequent negatives.

In 2015, when a Vibrio problem developed in the British Columbia oyster industry, Bio|Food|Tech was able to put together a risk assessment workshop and present it to industry stakeholders in the Atlantic provinces and B.C. Bio|Food|Tech is also often called in to support the work of Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Environment Canada or the Department of Health on PEI by analyzing samples for food-borne illnesses, Budu-Amoako says. For instance, Environment Canada tests the water quality in areas where shellfish are grown and brings the samples to Bio|Food|Tech to be analyzed for the presence of harmful microorganisms.

“This information is used to do

Jim Smith, Executive Director, Bio|Food|Tech

In 2015, wHen a vIBrIo proBleM developed In tHe BrItISH coluMBIa oySter InduStry, BIo|food|tecH waS aBle to put togetHer a rISK aSSeSSMent worKSHop and preSent It to InduStry StaKeHolderS In tHe atlantIc provInceS and B.c.

classification of the growing or harvesting areas,” Budu-Amoako says. “It could result in approving the harvesting area, conditionally approving, restricting, conditionally restricting or prohibiting taking samples from those areas.”

Bio|Food|Tech also works with the beef industry on PEI to provide fast microbial testing results for the production of ground meat.

“They are required to test for E. coli on every batch of meat product that they are going to grind into ground beef, so they have to have their results before they do the grinding,” Budu-Amoako says. “What we do is we provide them with a thermos, they bring their sample today and the next morning, six o’clock in the morning, they have their results.”

The BAX System is Bio|Food|Tech’s secret weapon. The PCR-based analytical system has the ability to do rapid analysis of food samples so clients can get results quickly and be back in business the next day.

“Analysis of pathogens like Salmonella, that might have taken four days with the traditional method, we will use the BAX System to get the results in about 24 hours,” Budu-Amoako says.

Along with the BAX System and other PCR machines that do molecular determination work, Bio|Food|Tech also makes use of various sensors in its shelf life and thermal processing work. To test whether the thermal processing of canned goods meets CFIA standards, for example, they insert sensors into a can before placing it into a machine like a huge pressure cooker, Smith says. Tests are done to determine whether the

thermal processing is properly calibrated to kill certain bacteria on the food.

“We can put the bacteria on the food and then subject it to [various] timetemperatures to see what timetemperature would result in completely destroying the bacteria,” Budu-Amoako says. “Those would become the process parameters.”

But technology is not everything, he says. “All the employees working in the lab are highly skilled and highly trained.

We have some elite scientists and technicians here that make all the difference in the world,” Budu-Amoako says. “It really does come down to people sometimes. You need the right equipment, but you really need the people who know how to use that equipment.”

There are two teams at Bio|Food|Tech that are integral to its operations: the food science group, which runs the pilot plants, and the microbiology group, which Budu-Amoako describes as “the technical services group” who also support the work the pilot plant does.

“Everything that has to go out from here or everything that we do in the pilot plant we would want to make sure that it’s of good quality and safe,” he says. “My lab also provides that support for internal product development.”

Bio|Food|Tech is part of the National Research Council (NRC) IRAP Contribution Agreement program, which allows it to work with small and mediumsize Canadian companies on starter projects.

“It enables us [to work with a company] without any red tape, so there’s no form-filling, no money from the

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Ebo Budu-Amoako, Senior Microbiologist and Lab Manager Bio|Food|Tech

company,” Smith says. “All they have to do is call us up and ask us for help with a project.”

Most small and medium companies are so busy fighting fires it’s hard for them to be innovative, he says. “If they work with us we can provide them with the technical wherewithal to get a product into market.”

One company that has benefitted from Bio|Food|Tech’s expertise is Honibe. It approached the lab to see whether it was possible to make solid honey. The Bio|Food|Tech team started working on development and eventually began manufacturing the Honibe product for commercial sales. “They did that for two years before they moved into their own facility and they now have 50 people,” Smith says proudly. “And this is because of the support they could get from Bio|Food|Tech, both in the lab and in our pilot plants.”

Honibe is now an internationally renowned, award-winning company with products that are sold in more than 25 countries. Smith has several stories that are similar: like the orchard owner who

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May/June 2016 LAB BUSINESS

needed a use for windfall apples and ended up developing apple brandy in Bio|Food|Tech’s fermentation and distillation workshop. Or the client that brought water from Cavendish Beach, PEI, looking for support to extract sea salt from it. “It’s kind of unexpected but it works,” Smith says.

From food safety to food product development, Bio|Food|Tech takes on every challenge the food industry throws its way. “Every day we get people coming to us and asking us to help them with something different,” Smith says. “The challenging thing is actually to get people to work with us in the first place. Once clients come and work with us, they’ll come back.” LB

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Application NOTE

Environmental Sampling in Food Facilities

STORY BY

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Gabriela Martinez

May/June 2016 LAB BUSINESS

I

t is recognized that environment is a potential source of contamination for food processing facilities. The pathogens, which occur naturally in the environment, can easily enter food processing areas several ways. Once inside, pathogens can be temporary visitors (present until they are removed via cleaning and disinfection) or they may persist in sites such as damaged areas of the floor or drains. Therefore, it becomes critical to set up and maintain an environmental monitoring program; particularly since the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is focusing on prevention. Food processors are more and more responsible for prevention of any adulteration in facilities and final product. Moreover, a good environmental monitoring program (EMP) allows companies to manage and possibly reduce operational, regulatory and branding reputation risks.

The setup of the EMP starts with identifying and documenting all physical areas which could be potential pathogen sources (raw materials, storage and shipping areas, etc.) and cross-contamination vectors (employees, equipment, pest, etc.). These areas and vectors should be surveyed, controlled and when possible, eliminated. Thus, the

Application NOTE implementation of effective controls which includes microbiological sampling of high-risk areas will be part of the program. Sampling for pathogens or indicator microorganisms (see next page) in food contact areas during production is also vital. This offers confidence in the safety of the manufactured product. Additionally, the EMP helps to be aware of the plant environment and to measure the efficiency of the pathogen-prevention program.

Furthermore, in an environmental monitoring program it is not only critical to test for pathogens, but also for the overall effectiveness of cleaning and sanitizing procedures. Both procedures are needed and both must be done properly to reduce microorganisms to safe levels. The goal of a cleaning process is to completely remove food and other types of soil from surfaces. Since soils vary widely in composition, no one detergent is capable of removing all types. In general, acid cleaners dissolve alkaline soils (minerals) and alkaline cleaners dissolve acid soils and food wastes. So, the personnel involved need to understand the nature of the soil to be removed before selecting a detergent or a cleaning regime. It is also essential that the cleaner matches with the water properties and is compatible (not corrosive, for example) with the surface characteristics on which it will be applied. However, not only the correct choice of agent is necessary for an optimal result; it should be coupled with a mechanical action, an appropriated contact time and correct operating temperature. As the combination of these parameters is characteristic to each process it becomes essential to verify effectiveness through sampling.

Finally, cleaning is closely related to sanitation, because what hasn’t been previously cleaned can’t be sanitized.

The official definition (Association of Official Analytical Chemists) of sanitizing for food product contact surfaces is a process which reduces the contamination level by 99.999% (5 logs).

Sanitation may be achieved using either heat (thermal treatment) or chemicals.

Hot water sanitizing is commonly used where immersing the contact surfaces is practical (e.g., small parts, utensils). Hot water sanitizing is effective only when

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Application NOTE

PRODUCT USAGE INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1

Remove the tear-off strip and carefully take the sani-stick by the handle.

Step 2

The wet sponge is already on the handle; swipe it on the surface.

Step 3

Press on the bottom of the handle to gently release the sponge in the sterile sampling bag.

Step 4 Twirl the bag 3 to 4 times and close it with the tabs.

Step 5

appropriate temperatures can be maintained for the appropriate period of time. For example, depending upon the application, sanitation may be achieved by immersing parts or utensils in 77 C to 85 C water for 45 seconds to five minutes.

The advantages of this type of sanitation are: easy application, readily available, effective for a broad range of microorganisms, non-corrosive, and penetrates cracks and crevices.

Nevertheless, it is relatively slow, can contribute to high energy costs, may contribute to the formation of biofilms and may shorten the life of certain equipment parts (e.g., seals and gaskets).

Furthermore, fungal spores will survive this treatment.

Concerning chemicals, there is no perfect chemical sanitizer. Performance depends on: sanitizer concentration (too low or too high is ineffective), contact exposure time, temperature of the sanitizing solution (generally, 21 C to 38 C is considered optimal), pH of the water solution (each sanitizer has an optimal pH), water hardness and cleanliness of the surface. Indeed, some chemical sanitizers, such as chlorine, react with food and soil becoming less effective on surfaces that have not been properly cleaned.

Of course, the effectiveness of the plant’s sanitation practices must be verified to ensure that the production equipment and environment are indeed sanitary. Operators employ many kinds of verification, including physical and visual inspection methods, as part of ongoing environmental hygiene monitoring programs. Portable ATP bioluminescence systems are widely

used by industry to obtain immediate results about the sanitary or unsanitary condition of food plant surfaces. ATP results should be followed up with more in-depth confirmation testing, such as indirect indicator tests and pathogenspecific tests. Indirect indicator tests are based on non-pathogenic microorganisms (Ex. coliform, fecal coliforms or total counts) that may be naturally present in food or in the same environment as a pathogen bacteria. These indicator organisms are used to assess the overall sanitation or environmental condition that may signal or indicate the potential presence of pathogens that may cause significant health risks to consumers.

The principal advantages of using indicator organisms in an EMP are: • the detection techniques are less expensive compared to those used for pathogens; • indicator microorganisms are present in high number and a baseline can be easily established; • indicator microorganisms are a valid representative of pathogens of concern since they survive under similar physical, chemical and nutrient conditions as the pathogen.

However, indicator organisms are not a substitute for testing for pathogens. A positive result indicates possible contamination and a risk of foodborne disease. It is recommended that samples be taken immediately before the production starts, just after cleaning and sanitation have been completed when information regarding cleaning and sanitation are required. However, when the sampling is carried out on surfaces

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE

plant’s sanitation practices

MUST BE VERIFIED TO ENSURE THAT THE PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT AND

Identify the sample on the write-on area with a permanent marker.

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May/June 2016 LAB BUSINESS

ENVIRONMENT ARE INDEED SANITARY.

Application NOTE

NEUTRALIZING AGENTS D/E Neutralizing Broth SANITIZER CLASS

Letheen Broth

Neutralizing Broth

Buffered Peptone Water

EXAMPLE OF BRANDS

Glutaraldehydes

Maxicide Plus, Cidex, Biocide G30, Banicide, Glutacide Metricide Plus

•

Formaldehydes

Formalin

•

Chlorine, Bromine and Iodine

Household bleach, Clorox, IodoFive, Dispatch

•

• •

•

Quaternary ammonium Citrus Disinfectant, Coverage 256, compounds (Quats/QACs) Dustbane Vangard, Envirocide

•

•

Chlorhexidine

Aseptol, Savlon, Nolvasan

•

•

Phenols (LpH)

Lysol, Dettol, Pine-sol, Bi-Arrest, ProSpray

•

•

Alcohol

Ethanol, Isopropyl alcohol

•

•

Peroxides

Hydrogen Peroxide, Hyperox, Virox

•

Acetic and Lactic acids

previously exposed to chemical germicide treatment, appropriate neutralizers must be incorporated into the medium to preserve viability of the microbial cells.

Neutralizers recommended for food plant monitoring include Dey-Engley neutralizing broth (DE), neutralizing buffer (NE), Buffered peptone water (BPW) and Letheen broth (LT). Most of them incorporated into a support such as a sponge, swab or chiffon to facilitate the neutralizing of residues of cleaning agents and sanitizers that may be picked up during swabbing.

However, upon the multitude of products available on the market, which one is recommended? Depending on the surface, the type of cleaning agents and the type of testing (qualitative or quantitative), they are all suitable choices.

It is critical to verify that the chosen

•

• neutralizer has an efficient action against the used sanitizers. The above chart represents the most effective equivalence amongst the cleaning agents and the most common neutralizers.

For instance, if a quantitative method is to be used, it is very important to consider a neutralizing agent which doesn’t support the bacterial growth such as the neutralizing buffer.

Finally the versatility of the sponge makes it a very popular choice. In fact, they are used for sampling equipment surfaces, floors, walls, work benches and even carcasses. They enable the sampling of large surfaces and the detection of lower levels of contamination at a lower cost of operation. To summarize, environmental sampling is an important tool to verify sources of contamination and adequacy of sanitation process helping to refine the frequency and

•

• intensity of cleaning and sanitation, identifying “hot spots”, validate food safety programs, and provide early warning of trends that may need corrective action. Over all, it provides the firm conviction that products being manufactured are made under sanitary conditions. LB Gabriela Martinez is Scientific Director at Labplas. She can be reached at gmartinez@labplas.com.

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Lab WARE

fIeld-ready SpectroMeter taKeS no effort

Thermo Fisher Scientific’s new Delta Ray Isotope Ratio Infrared Spectrometer (IRIS) is a portable infrared spectrometer designed to provide continuous measurement of isotope ratios and CO2 concentrations in air and in containers. The IRIS was designed with field portability and operational simplicity in mind. The IRIS also includes a URI Connect interface that balances the concentration of reference gases against that of the sample, targeting accuracy with minimum effort from the user. www.thermofisher.com

Integrated SolutIon to acQuIre MultI-Scale and MultI-Modal IMageS

ZEISS Atlas 5 is a powerful hardware and software package that extends the capacity of ZEISS scanning electron microscopes (SEM) and focused ion beam SEMs (FIB-SEM). ZEISS Atlas 5 streamlines automatic image acquisition and lets users benefit from its efficient navigation and correlation of images from any source including light and x-ray microscopes. The package includes automated large area imaging, advanced preset and customizable protocols that allow the user to produce consistent and reproducible results. The modular structure of ZEISS Atlas 5 allows users to tailor it to their everyday tasks in materials or life sciences applications. www.zeiss.com

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May/June 2016 LAB BUSINESS

redeSIgned SaMple proBe featureS twISt n’ locK HouSIng

tovatecH flowMeter goeS dIgItal

Tovatech’s portable FlowCal 5000 digital liquid flowmeter eliminates time-consuming and error-prone manual calibration of HPLC pump systems by volumetrically measuring and recording solvent exiting from HPLC systems. Each new FlowCal 5000 measurement refreshes the reading on the flow meter’s liquid crystal display. The small volume of the sensing tube enables very low flow rates, down to 50µL/min, to be measured accurately. Data can be transferred to a PC or printer for archiving. www.tovatech.com

Distek Inc. has redesigned its sample probe and filter for use with its Automated Dissolution Sampler. The two-piece sample probe design features a twist and lock probe housing offering superior probe integrity for routine and increased sampling pressures. In addition, the probe provides visual confirmation that the probes filter housing is properly secured. The new Distek filters, available in 10 and 45 micron sizes, are designed with a larger filter surface area, providing improved media flow and filtering capabilities. www.distekinc.com

Lab WARE

Bioreactor Delivers Flexibility and Continuity

The Mobius 1,000-liter single-use bioreactor completes the comprehensive Mobius stirred tank portfolio of three to 2,000-liter sizes, delivering greater flexibility and continuity for scale-up. With the industry's only bottom-loading drawer for easy and safe bag installation, MilliporeSigma’s new bioreactor is designed to achieve homogenous and fast mixing for consistent performance, especially at large scale. www.emdgroup.com/emd/products/life_science/life_science.html

Autosampler Processes More Samples

IONICON recently launched a new autosampler for high-throughput PTR-MS measurements. The autosampler is a modified version of an industrial autosampler adapted for optimal interaction with IONICON PTR-MS instruments. The autosampler works in concert with a PTR-MS trace gas analyzer to do automated real-time VOC trace gas analysis of large sample quantities. It can be loaded with multiple sample trays carrying up to 270 vials (20ml) simultaneously, for liquid, solid, or gas samples. The benchtop autosampler allows for static and dynamic head-space measurements. www.ionicon.com

Integrated Data Management Software

Horiba Scientific’s NEO Software was designed to facilitate method development, samples measurement and results management. The NEO Software has a database of 50,000 ICP-OES wavelengths, fully characterized, and includes the proprietary and patented features of MASTER, for the selection of the most appropriate wavelengths without analyzing any samples, and IMAGE, for the acquisition of the entire spectrum in minutes with unmatched Resolution and Dynamic. The software is available on all of Horiba Scientific’s new ICP-OES instruments. www.horiba.com/scientific

Tech WATCH

Mixers BrIngIng vortexerS Into tHe 21St century

VWR Vortex Mixers recently received a facelift, bringing them into the 21st Century. Models include Fixed Speed, Analog, Digital, and a Pulsing model for cell disruption. All models include a cup head, and three-inch platform. Pulsing models also include a stainless steel microtube holder. All models have a five-year warranty, are manufactured in North America (USA), and are TUV-listed and CEmarked. Other models available include Microplate, Heavy-Duty, and Multi-Tube vortexers. www.ca.vwr.com

3-d SHaKer Ideal for Molecular BIology applIcatIonS Mandel Scientific’s BenchWaver combines the basic rocking motion of traditional platform rockers with the circular motion of an orbital shaker. The combination generates a 3-D undulating motion commonly preferred for molecular biology applications. The BenchWaver also includes a non-slip platform. www.mandel.ca

IMproved prograM functIonS and StaBIlIty uSeful for every MIxIng freQuency

The Eppendorf ThermoMixer C combines excellent mixing performance with excellent temperature control to guarantee complete, dependable and reproducible test results. Improve your assay results by mixing and incubating samples at the same time. The Eppendorf ThermoMixer C convinces users with its quick and easy-toexchange SmartBlocks for all common lab vessels, new and improved program functions, and high level of stability for every mixing frequency. There is almost no limit to the variety of applications. www.eppendorf.com

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May/June 2016 LAB BUSINESS

The

Moments in TIME

Soybean Solution

Professor Suresh Neethirajan, Director, BioNano Laboratory

R

esearchers at the University of Guelph may have found a way to prevent microbial pathogens like Listeria from contaminating food products and it has to do with soybeans. In a study, which will be published in Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports in July, the researchers tested the antimicrobial efficacy of soy-based antimicrobial peptides against Listeria monocytogenes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa using microfluidics and high-throughput screening to run millions of tests in a short period. These soyderived peptides are part of a new class of biopharmaceuticals called bioactive antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) which interact with bacterial cell membranes and cause them to die. Currently, the food industry uses synthetic additives to protect food against pathogens. The problem is that over time, some pathogens have developed a resistance to the chemicals. There is also concern that consumption of chemical additives could cause health problems in the long run. Soy-based antimicrobial peptides could serve as all-natural, biodegradable alternatives. LB www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405580816300395 http://news.uoguelph.ca/2016/04/soy-2

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