Discovering the Differences Between Probiotics and Live Cultures

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that can potentially aid in specific health concerns. But aiding and curing are completely different concepts. Advertising easily confuses consumers with fancy labels and the power of suggestion. Let’s face it, food manufacturers get away with more than their share of misconceptions. Advertisements love to hint that if you just buy a certain product, all of your health issues will magically disappear. But is that true? Read on for some of the more interesting Probiotic myths.

Safety First: Combating Salmonella One Test at a Time

Food contaminants are wide spread concerns which affect the health and safety of millions of Americans annually. Whether food is mishandled at the manufacturing level or unclean conditions between the factory and home are involved, the outcome can be minor to severe, depending on the actual cause of the contamination.

Another Salmonella Outbreak Courtesy of Foster Farms

If you've watched or read the news lately, you’re likely familiar with the name Foster Farms. The California-based business is famed for its farm-raised poultry… and salmonella scares, of course. Since March, 2013, the company has been blast beaten with continual health-related infestations (obviously they’re unfamiliar with microbiological testing). But it seemed as though the salmonella situation was contained… until it wasn’t.

Easy Microbial Mold and Yeast Removal

If you’ve ever seen dairy or flour-based food sitting on a counter too long, you’ve likely noticed changes that occur within the edible source. Mold and yeast are well known toxins that change and destroy the original quality of consumables. There are some molds that cause human illness, but most are relatively harmless to healthy people. Both yeast and mold can deteriorate any food substance they infiltrate, and even cause cramping until digestion has occurred.

The Need for Microbiological Testing in Medical Marijuana

In the 1960s, the U.S government blocked all research testing of cannibis products, stating it was not medicinally beneficial, even though many chronically ill patients, and their doctors alike, disagreed. While in 2001, the government rejected appeals for retesting while insisting they couldn’t sign off on medical guarantees due to the fact that marijuana has never been properly tested. State laws have been amended over the past decade or so to allow for new testing procedures in the event of medically necessary marijuana prescriptions.

Keep Fido Safe: Microbiological Testing for Pet Food

Ask any animal lover and they’ll tell you their pets are family. The 170 million pampered dogs and cats in the U.S alone that add to the annual $22 million pet food industry; which is expected to double in earnings within the next few years. People simply want to give their pets the very best lives possible, from food to fashion. The unexpected loss of a beloved pet due to bacteria-laced food is an unnecessary emotional hit to any family; which is why microbiological testing is so important to the health and happiness of your furry family members.

The Correlation between Gut Health and Mental Health

Are you familiar with the long-standing idea of “gut feelings?” More than the ideas of feelings through your gut, recent studies show that the overall health of your gut may influence your mind. Those studies indicate that the presence of healthy bacteria in your gut may play a crucial part in the chemistry of the brain and total mental health.  

The Difference Between Healthy Candida and Candida Overgrowth

When most people hear the word Candida, they think of itching, headaches, depression and overall ill health. While Candida does deserve some of the bad reputation it gets, lately some of the reports about Candida are completely baseless and totally false. It has caused the public to believe a lot of incorrect information and to take precautions that are completely unnecessary. People have gone on "yeast free diets" to detoxify their bodies of candida.

Microbiology Quality Assurance: Rapid Yeast and Mold Detection

Mold and yeast are agents which can be responsible for contamination as well as spoilage in most products. A lot of these agents can develop something known as mycotoxins which can infuse itself into the product. If this is done in large quantities, it can cause poisoning. According to the American Society for Microbiology the presence of yeast can affect the product salability and quality, which can lead to significant financial loss for the food supplier. This is why rapid yeast and mold testing is important so that your organization will remain efficient and hygienic. Microbiology quality assurance can help you detect yeast, mold and other agents that may contaminate your products.

Quality Control in the Food and Beverage Industry: The Significance of Coliform Testing

Complying with U.S Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) laws and regulations related to safe food handling and water sanitation is important for all manufacturers of food and beverage products and water bottling facilities. This is particularly essential in meat, poultry and daily industries where food items are usually at a high risk of contamination by bacteria such as salmonella, E. coli and etc.

Understanding Quality Assurance in the Food Industry: Microbiological Testing of Yogurt

While yogurt is generally viewed as a health food there are specific dangers for the consumers and the manufacturers. The most important of these is the presence of harmful microorganisms. The main investigative procedures to determine the health of yogurt is testing for yeast, mold and the presence of coliform. Traditional testing methods tend to be slow and labor intensive. This makes them unsuitable for products with a relatively short life such as yogurt. This has led to an interest in more rapid methods of determine the safety of yogurt before it is delivered to store shelves.