One question that might have crossed your mind as a consumer as you reach in the fridge towards that questionable half gallon of milk to accompany your freshly poured cereal bowl is, “do these dates really matter?” The same can be said for over-the-counter medications, pharmaceuticals, and numerous other consumer items. One common misinterpretation is determining if expiration dates refer …
Consumer Complacency with Food Safety Alerts
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year, food-borne illnesses sicken 48 million people (or 1 in 6), send 128,000 people to the hospital, and cause 3,000 fatalities in the United States alone.1 With these kinds of figures, it is evident that being ready for a recall or other potential catastrophe is crucial when a …
LIMS Benefits for the Food and Beverage Laboratory
A laboratory information management system (LIMS) can positively impact multiple aspects of operations for many different types of laboratories, including food and beverage laboratories. These labs exist to ensure safety and quality in the production and management of food and beverage production operations. These laboratories use various informatics solutions to ensure operational efficiency by improving, for example, inventory management, sample …
Allergen Testing is a Priority for Food Safety Labs
Testing in the food and beverage industry has been primarily centered on detecting microbial and chemical contaminants. These types of tests are vital to the general consumer, as these contaminants can cause illness outbreaks if not detected promptly. However, in the last two decades, food safety and testing labs find themselves not only testing for contaminants but also for food …
Minimize Cross-contamination in Food Testing Labs with a LIMS
In over two decades, we find the real consequences of cross-contamination in the food supply have added up. Note the following representative examples as published by Eat This, Not That!1: 1998: Fifteen million pounds of Sara Lee meat were recalled due to Listeria, infecting 101 people. This caused six miscarriages and 15 deaths. 2006: Natural Selection Foods saw bagged and …