B E V E R AG E P R O C E S S I N G T E C H N O L O GY
Expand your brand appeal with beverage safety testing Spoilage organism testing is a critical step within the beverage industry to enable the safe release of drinks to the market.
R
“Our GranuCult granulated media;
equirements can vary from industry to industry, depending on different
Readybag pre-weighed granulated media
spoilage parameters. Merck Millipore
in ready-to-use bags; and ReadyPlate
offers a full range of culture media and
and ReadyTube ready-to-use media are
tests for microbiological quality control
all compliant with EN ISO 11133:2014.
with its new combined Merck and Sigma-
All information regarding compliance
Aldrich portfolio.
with additional reference standards are displayed on the product label and in the
“Our beverage safety testing solutions cover the most important spoilage organisms,
product’s technical information available on
so you can ensure the quality of your
our website,” May points out.
beverages. Whether you need to test wine, the safety testing solution to fit your needs,”
NEW IFU METHOD NO.12:2019 AT A GLANCE...
explains Melanie May, field marketing
• The title of the method has been changed.
manager biomonitoring, EMEA commercial.
• The optional usage of several media has
beer, soft drinks, juices, or water, we have
been changed to the usage of one liquid
SOFT DRINKS & JUICES These beverages are water-based drinks with natural or artificial flavouring, often sweetened by sugars, syrups, fruit juices, fruit juice concentrates or sweeteners. Products are often carbonated and supplemented with minerals, vitamins,
“Often micro-organisms cause spoilage and build a malodour, turbidity or slime in soft drinks and juices. Typical causes are yeasts but many bacteria can also lead to spoilage”
at room temperature. Typical examples are teas and lemonades. Juice is a liquid that is naturally contained in fruit and vegetables. Today there is also a trend for smoothies, which are blends of raw fruits and vegetables, often with other additives like water, ice, sweeteners or dairy products. Fermented soft drinks and probiotic beverages are also a big market today, examples include kefir and kombucha. Often micro-organisms cause spoilage and build a malodour, turbidity or slime in soft drinks and juices. Typical causes are yeasts but many bacteria can also lead to spoilage.
MICROBIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF SOFT DRINKS AND WATER The main risk for microbial contamination of soft drinks comes from raw material (water, syrups, sugars, juices, additives) and from final filling. Today’s trend for natural and healthy drinks increases the risk of contamination and final spoilage, due to the minimisation of heat and filter steps. In addition, several heat-resistant sporeforming organisms are known to be frequent spoiling organisms in soft drinks.
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Food Review | August 2020
• Reduced toxicity of BAT media due to exclusion of cobalt chloride and boric acid from media composition. • New pour-plating technique for enumeration (1g) in non-filterable samples is introduced. • Simple confirmation method of presumptive
stabilisers, antioxidants and caffeine. They are often stored in bottles, either cooled or
(BAT broth) and one solid medium (BAT agar).
SIMPLIFY YOUR JUICE SPOILAGE TESTING New IFU Method No. 12 for testing of sporeforming thermo-acidophilic spoilage bacteria (Alicyclobacillus spp.) in juices and juice-containing drinks, ingredients, and in environmental samples The method is applicable to: • Juice and juice-related products and their ingredients intended for human consumption. • Environmental samples including process water in the area of juice, juice-related production, and handling. • Other beverages not containing juices and their ingredients, including syrups. This third edition of 2019 cancels and replaces the second edition of IFU Method No. 12: 2007, which has been technically revised. The main changes introduced in the third version, compared to IFU Method No. 12:2007, are considered as major. As a provider of a broad range of granulated and ready-to-use culture media for food, beverage and water microbiology, Merck
positive colonies from BAT agar introduced. • Performance testing for the quality assurance of the culture media has been added to Annex B. • Method validation and performance characteristics for detection and enumeration methods have been added to Annex D. • Optional pre-incubation of packed ready-todrink products has been added to Annex E. • Matrix-dependent special processes have been added to Annex F.
COMPLIANCE WITH NEW ‘IFU METHOD NO. 12:2019’ The two new BAT media are QC’d under ISO 17025 accreditation, and were both used together with Merck’s outstanding membrane filters for validation of the new IFU Method No. 12. Merck Millipore has implemented all the requirements described in the new IFU Method No. 12:2019. For more information, please visit the webpage: SigmaAldrich. com/Beverages-Microbiology. •
Millipore closely tracks and supports the development of relevant standards aimed at increasing consumer confidence and safety.
Merck Millipore - www.merckmillipore.com
