Breaking the mould
of mould and yeast in baked products.
Foss has developed a new system that allows for the rapid testing of mould and yeast in baked products. The new combined test for mould and yeast complements existing MicroFoss tests for enterobacteriaceae, coliform, generic E.coli and yeast.
Rapid testing of foodstuffs for moulds has always been problematic for the food industry due to the very slow growth rate of these organisms. Most mould detection methods require a week or more of incubation before a result can be achieved.
In contrast, the new mould and yeast vial allows detection of food-borne moulds relatively quickly. The new vial has been developed for use with the MicroFoss routine detection system.
Launched over two years ago, the company claims that MicroFoss is an advanced yet simple-to-use solution for automated routine detection and enumeration of bacteria.
The mould detection system for the MicroFoss is based on a double vial system. This consists of an external vial containing the dye indicator and an inner vial that contains the sample, growth medium and sponge pieces. The inner vial is placed in the outer and then placed in the MicroFoss incubator at the appropriate temperature.
The MicroFoss instrument records the time taken for a colour change of the indicator by measuring the absorption of light passed through the dye Indicator. The change will occur when CO2 released by growing moulds is absorbed by the Indicator in the outer vial, resulting in a pH change and a concurrent change in dye colour.
The mould detection system has been extensively tested for its ability to indicate growth of a wide range of food spoilage moulds, including several species of penicillium and aspergillus, strains of rhizopus, mucor, fusarium, alternaria, eurotium, and wallemia. This was done using naturally and artificially contaminated food materials and comparing the results against recognised reference methods.
The system was able to detect the moulds examined in a large range of food products including grains, powders, bakery products and dips.
