- Technical assistance and studies
Challenge test
Listeria monocytogenes growth potential studies
Verify the shelf life of your product from a food safety perspective and its inherent quality characteristics, taking into account foreseeable storage, distribution and use conditions.
Validate the safety and stability of the product throughout its shelf life
According to Regulation EC 1441/2007 (amending Regulation (EC) 2073/2005) on microbiological criteria applicable to food products, agri-food companies must, when necessary (especially for ready-to-eat foods), carry out studies to assess compliance with microbiological criteria throughout the product’s shelf life, ensuring its safety and stability.
Growth potential assessment studies of Listeria monocytogenes are carried out through challenge tests in accordance with the guidelines set out in a document developed by the Community Reference Laboratory (CRL) Technical Guidance: Shelf-life Studies for Listeria monocytogenes in Ready-to-eat foods.
At AINIA, we add value
- Extensive knowledge and experience in food production processes across all sectors
- Extensive AINIA database of analytical results from real samples, representative of all food sectors
- In-depth knowledge of the behaviour of the main pathogenic and/or spoilage microorganisms of interest
- Extensive experience in conducting Listeria monocytogenes growth potential studies in accordance with the protocol required by current legislation
- Specific equipment for inoculating microorganisms under conditions that do not alter the intrinsic characteristics of the food
- We have a Biological and Genetic Resources Collection with thousands of strains, sourced both from internationally recognised culture collections (CECT, ATCC, CCUG) and wild strains isolated from a wide variety of food matrices. All of them available for conducting this type of study
- We also offer the possibility of adapting customised studies to each case according to the requirements of the health authorities of each autonomous community, including holding technical meetings with them if required
Challenge test, shelf-life studies in foods
Our solutions include:
- Selection of strains of interest and preparation of the inoculum according to the reference protocol
- Study of the variability of physicochemical characteristics such as water activity and pH to determine the number of samples and batches to be studied
- Assessment of the most appropriate inoculation procedure to ensure proper establishment of microorganisms, their homogeneous distribution in the product, and that the product maintains intact packaging conditions throughout its shelf life
- Simulation of a cold chain as realistic as possible to which the product under study will be subjected from its production to its storage by the final consumer
- Performance of the corresponding analyses, according to the procedures/analytical protocols of the Bioassays Laboratory, following, where applicable, ENAC-accredited methods
- Interpretation of results or calculation of the Listeria monocytogenes growth potential (δ)
- Issuance of a results report with conclusions
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