Indicator organisms
Monitor hygienic conditions in food production
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Indicator organisms
Microbiological indicator organisms can be used to monitor hygienic conditions in food production. The presence of specific bacteria, yeasts or molds is an indicator of poor hygiene and a potential microbiological contamination.
HACCP systems are implemented in most companies to certify the safety and consistency of products. Potential biological, chemical or physical hazards can be introduced by raw materials, the process, the equipment, the environment and employees. With our rapid and reliable test systems, you can easily check raw materials, final products, production lines, staff and cleaning efficiency (CIP water) for microbial contaminations.
The term “total viable count on surface” describes the number of colony forming units (cfu) which exist on a defined area (e.g. 1 cm2) of the analyzed surface. Normally it will be determined using a total plate count agar by means of grown colonies after incubation at 30 – 35 °C for approx. 48 hours colonies will be counted. The total viable count is an indicator for the hygienic status of the food production and shows possible microbial loads and contamination sources. The “aerobic mesophilic count” indicates the number of colony forming units (cfu) formed on a plate count medium during a specified incubation time at mesophilic temperatures (approx. 30 – 37 °C). The aerobic count is an indicator for the microbial status of the production and environmental conditions.
Coliform bacteria are considered to be indicators for faecal contaminations and are often used for monitoring water quality. Detection of coliform bacteria on surfaces in the production environment or solid foods indicates that the hygienic conditions in the food production process need to be optimised. The term “coliform bacteria” does not describe a taxonomical group beyond the eubacteria; it actually is more a summary of some genera from the family of enterobacteria. Their common biochemical characteristics are a positive lactose reaction as well as a negative oxidase reaction. These bacteria are easily to identify using nutrient media which contain chromogenic substrates for their enzyme β-galactosidase (e.g.: X-GAL).
The Enterobacteriaceae are gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria which are typically 1-5 µm in length. They are facultative anaerobes and most are motile, but non-motile genera exist as well. Enterobacteriaceae cannot produce oxidase and can be distinguished from similar genera by this criterion. Enterobacteriaceae are a normal part of the gut flora which is found in the intestinal tract of humans and animals. They are also spread widely in the environment (e.g. soil, water). Some genera are pathogenic and can cause serious diseases. Genera of Enterobacteriaceae are Cedecea, Citrobacter, Enterobacter, Escherichia, Hafnia, Klebsiella, Kluyvera, Morganella, Proteus, Rahnella, Salmonella, Serratia, Shigella and Yersinia.
Enterococci are gram-positive organisms which belong to the intestinal bacteria as well as the gram-negative Enterobacteriaceae. Enterococci may appear as contaminations in a variety of fermented foods. Their presence in food products has long been considered as an indication of poor sanitary conditions during production and processing. On the other hand, Enterococci are specifically used as starter cultures for the fermentation processes of a variety of foods. It is claimed that Enterococci play an important role in the development of the organoleptic properties of the fermented foods. For water, the presence of Enterococci serves as an indicator of fecal contamination. Enterococci will only appear in water if they are inserted by contaminations with human or animal feces.
Yeasts and molds are able to contaminate foods and are responsible for quick spoilage of the infested food stuff. Due to their ability to produce toxic or allergenic substances molds are especially predestinated to be a potential health risk. As these organisms might be rapidly spread by dusts and aerosols, surfaces in the production environment will be consistently contaminated. Therefore, they should be taken into account and added to the sampling plans of the general hygiene monitoring.
Yeasts are facultative anaerobe, mono-cellular fungi (Ascosporidae), fermenting sugar substrate to CO2 and H2O. Under anaerobic conditions yeasts ferment sugar to alcohol and CO2. Those qualities are commercially used in the brewing, wine and baking industry. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the most common strain used for industrial purposes. In terms of food spoilage genera of Candida play a major role. This germ is located on the human and animal mucosa (nose, throat).
The term „mold“ is commonly used for the visible part of the fungi present on the surface of contaminated food. Under the surface the fungi forms mycelium which cannot be recognized with the naked eye. Specific molds as well as yeast are used for industrial purposes (e.g. cheese production). Harmful genera of molds exist as well and are able to produce toxins (mycotoxins). Almost all molds have an allergenic potential related to their spore form capabilities. Besides food spoilage molds are subject to be discussed in conjunction with buildings infested by molds.
Product portfolio
| Product | Description | No. of tests/amount | Art. No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compact Dry YMR |
Usage of Compact Dry YMR (rapid) is a simple, safe and fast test procedure for determination and quantification of yeasts and molds in foods or raw materials – as well as pharmaceutical raw materials. The ready-to-use plates consist of a special 50 … Read more |
HS9801: 100 nutrient plates, HS9802: 40 nutrient plates, four plates are packed in one aluminum bag. |
HS9801 / HS9802 |
| Compact Dry AQ |
Usage of Compact Dry AQ is a simple and safe test procedure for determination and quantification of heterotrophic water bacteria from water samples (drinking and ultrapure water). The ready-to-use plates consist of a special 50 mm diameter petri dish … Read more |
HS9541: 100 nutrient plates, HS9542: 40 nutrient plates, four plates are packed in one aluminum bag. |
HS9541 / HS9542 |
| Compact Dry ETC |
Usage of Compact Dry ETC is a simple and safe test procedure for determination and quantification of Enterococcus in foods and water samples. The ready-to-use plates consist of a special 50 mm diameter petri dish containing a detection specific … Read more |
HS9461: 100 nutrient plates, HS9462: 40 nutrient plates, four plates are packed in one aluminum bag. |
HS9461 / HS9462 |
| Compact Dry YM |
Usage of Compact Dry YM is a simple and safe test procedure for determination and quantification of yeasts and molds in foods or raw materials – as well as pharmaceutical raw materials. The ready-to-use plates consist of a special 50 mm diameter … Read more |
HS8801: 100 nutrient plates, HS8802: 40 nutrient plates, four plates are packed in one aluminum bag. |
HS8801 / HS8802 |
| Compact Dry TC |
Usage of Compact Dry TC is a simple and safe test procedure for determination and quantification of aerobic mesophilic count in foods, cosmetics or raw materials – as well as pharmaceutical raw materials. The ready-to-use plates consist of a … Read more |
HS8771: 100 nutrient plates, HS8772: 40 nutrient plates, four plates are packed in one aluminum bag. |
HS8771 / HS8772 |
| Compact Dry ETB |
Usage of Compact Dry ETB is a simple and safe test procedure for determination and quantification of Enterobacteria in foods, cosmetics or raw materials – as well as pharmaceutical raw materials. The ready-to-use plates consist of a special 50 mm … Read more |
HS9431: 100 nutrient plates, HS9432: 40 nutrient plates (HS9432), four plates are packed in one aluminum bag. |
HS9431 / HS9432 |
| Compact Dry EC |
Usage of Compact Dry EC is a simple and safe test procedure for determination and quantification of coliform bacteria and E. coli in foods, cosmetics, water or raw materials – as well as pharmaceutical raw materials. The ready-to-use plates consist … Read more |
HS8781: 100 nutrient plates, HS8782: 40 nutrient plates (HS8782), four plates are packed in one aluminum bag. |
HS8781 / HS8782 |
| Product | Description | No. of tests/amount | Art. No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN P1 Screening without yeast |
Qualitative detection of bacterial contaminations in beer and mixed beer drinks. Read more |
50 reactions | Q035 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN P1 Screening without yeast white |
Qualitative detection of bacterial contaminations in beer and mixed beer drinks. Read more |
48 reactions | Q033 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN P1 Screening without yeast low |
Qualitative detection of bacterial contaminations in beer and mixed beer drinks. Read more |
48 reactions | Q032 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN P1 Screening |
Qualitative detection of bacterial and yeast contaminations in filtrated beer and beer mixes. For products with high amount of yeast use the Screening Kit without yeast detection to find bacterial contaminations more sensitive (Q035). Read more |
50 reactions | Q025 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN P1 Screening low MG |
Qualitative detection of bacterial and yeast contaminations in filtrated beer and beer mixes. Read more |
48 reactions | Q024 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN P1 Screening white |
Qualitative detection of bacterial and yeast contaminations in filtrated beer and beer mixes. For products with high amount of yeast use the Screening Kit without yeast detection to find bacterial contaminations more sensitive (Q033). Read more |
48 reactions | Q023 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN P1 Screening low |
Qualitative detection of bacterial and yeast contaminations in filtrated beer and beer mixes. For products with high amount of yeast use the Screening Kit without yeast detection to find bacterial contaminations more sensitive (Q032). Read more |
48 reactions | Q022 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN Wine Screening without yeast high |
Qualitative detection of Lactobacilli, Pediococci, Oenococcus oeni and acetic acid bacteria in wine and grape must. Read more |
48 reactions | Q331 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN Wine Screening high |
Qualitative detection and differentiation of bacterial and yeast contaminations in wine and grape must. Read more |
48 reactions | Q321 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN Wild yeast 2 |
Detection of wild yeast in beverages by real-time PCR. The following yeasts are detected: Candida glabrata Candida albicans Candida kefyr Candida intermedia Candida parapsilosis Candida sake Candida tropicalis Naumovozyma dairenensis Pichia … Read more |
50 reactions | Q535 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN Wild yeast 1 low |
Detection of wild yeast in beverages by real-time PCR. The following yeasts are detected: Dekkera anomala Dekkera bruxellensis Dekkera custersiana Dekkera naardenensis Debaromyces hansenii Hanseniaspora guillermondii Hanseniaspora osmophila … Read more |
48 reactions | Q522 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN P1 Screening high |
Qualitative detection of bacterial and yeast contaminations in filtrated beer and beer mixes. For products with high amount of yeast use the Screening Kit without yeast detection to find bacterial contaminations more sensitive (Q031). Read more |
48 reactions | Q021 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN Enterobacteriacea spp. |
Qualitative multiplex PCR-detection of enterobacteriaceae as indicators for hygiene and postprocessing contaminations. The system contains an integrated inhibition control. Read more |
50 reactions | Q145 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN Lactobacillus spp. / Pediococcus spp. |
Qualitative detection of Lactobacillus spp. and Pediococcus spp. in beverages. Read more |
48 reactions tube strips (freeze-dried, incl. IC-DNA) |
QTLP0048* |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN P1 Screening without yeast high |
Qualitative detection of bacterial contaminations in beer and mixed beer drinks. Read more |
48 reactions tube strips (freeze-dried, incl. IC-DNA) |
Q031 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN Yeast Saccharomyces diastaticus low |
Detection of Saccharomyces diastaticus in beverages by real-time PCR. Read more |
48 reactions | Q182 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN P1 and S. diastaticus Screening high |
Qualitative detection of bacterial and S.diastaticus contaminations in filtrated beer and mixed beer drinks and yeast containing samples. Read more |
48 reactions tube strips (freeze-dried, incl. IC-DNA and lyticase) |
Q041 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN Yeast differentiation high |
Differentiation of 12 beer spoilage yeasts in beer and mixed beer drinks. The following yeast are differentiated: Saccharomyces exiguus Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. diastaticus Saccharomyces bayanus / pastorianus Saccharomycodes ludwigii … Read more |
96 reactions for 12 samples (tubes contain lyticase). | Q541 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN P1 Screening and Hop resistance high |
Qualitative detection of bacterial contaminations and the hop resistance genes hor A and hor C as genetic markers for beer-spoilage microorganisms in beer and mixed beer drinks. Read more |
48 reactions | Q051 |
| GEN-IAL® Pichia membranaefaciens |
Real-time PCR-Kit for the detection of Pichia membranaefaciens. Read more |
50 reactions | Q930 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN Yeast Wickerhamomyces anomalus |
Detection of Wickerhamomyces anomalus in beverages (e.g. beer, wine, grape must) by real-time PCR. Read more |
50 reactions | Q175 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN® Yeast Top fermented high |
Real-time PCR-Kit for the detection of top-fermented yeast. Read more |
48 reactions | Q151 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN Yeast Bottom fermented high |
Detection of bottom-fermented yeast in beverages by real-time PCR. Read more |
48 reactions | Q161 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN Pectinatus / Megasphaera differentiation low |
Real-time PCR-Kit for the detection of Pectinatus spp. and Megasphaera spp in beverages. Read more |
48 reactions | Q112 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN Beer yeast and bacteria differentiation high |
Differentiation of beer spoilage bacteria and yeast in beer and mixed beer drinks. The following bacteria and yeasts are differentiated: Lactobacilli Pediococci Acetic acid bacteria Enterobacteriaceae Bottom-fermented yeast Top-fermented yeast Wild … Read more |
96 PCR reactions (24 samples) 12 stripes |
Q071 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN Hop resistance |
Qualitative detection and differentiation of the hop resistance genes hor A / hor C / hit A and ORF 5 as genetic markers for beer-spoilage microorganisms. Read more |
50 reactions | Q105 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN Beer differentiation high |
Differentiation of beer spoilage bacteria and yeast in beer and mixed beer drinks. The following bacteria and yeast are differentiated: L. acetotolerans, L. backii, L. brevis/L. brevisimilis/L. parabrevis, L. lindneri, L. casei/ L paracasei, L. … Read more |
12 strips à 8 tubes (one strip per sample, tube 2 contains lyticase) for 12 samples. | Q081 |
| GEN-IAL® Biogenic amines |
Real-time PCR kit for the detection of biogenic amines producing lactic acid bacteria in wine. Read more |
50 reactions | Q345 |
| SureFast® Enterobacteriaceae Screening PLUS |
The test detects Enterobacteriaceae DNA. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control (IAC). Read more |
100 reactions | F5507 |
| SureFast® Parasitic Water Panel 4plex |
The SureFast® Parasitic Water Panel 4plex is a real-time PCR for the direct, qualitative detection and differentiation of Giardia intestinalis, Entamoeba histolytica and Cryptosporidium spp.. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control … Read more |
100 reactions | F5506 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN Biofilm |
Real-time PCR detection of Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactoccocus lactis and Wickerhamomyces anomalus, which are involved in the development of biofilms. Read more |
50 reactions | Q095 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN Alicyclobacillus differentiation |
Qualitative detection and identification of Alicyclobacillus spp., Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius and Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris. Read more |
48 reactions | Q724 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN Dekkera bruxellensis quantitative high |
Qualitative and quantitative detection of Dekkera bruxellensis in wine and grape must. Read more |
48 reactions (freeze-dried, tubes incl. Lytikase and IC-DNA). | Q371 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN Yeast Zygosaccharomyces bailii high |
Detection of Zygosaccharomyces bailii in wine and grape must by real-time PCR. Read more |
48 reactions (tubes incl. Lyticase and IC-DNA) | Q561 |
| SureFast® Legionella Screen PLUS |
The test detects Legionella spp. DNA. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control (IAC). Read more |
100 reactions | F5502 |
