Key international validations provide users confidence that a validated indicator test will perform with accuracy and consistency for quantifying yeast and mold in food and environmental samples
3M Food Safety announced today that its 3M™ Petrifilm™ Rapid Yeast and Mold Count Plate has been validated by AOAC INTERNATIONAL as a First Action Official Method of AnalysisSM (OMA method number 2014.05) for the detection of yeasts and molds within food products in as little as 48 hours.
AOAC facilitates consensus and technical standards for the analytical science communities. Food processor, university, government and contract testing laboratories around the world rely on AOAC-OMA validation rigor when choosing chemical, microbial and molecular biological testing methods. To be approved as an Official Method, tests are scrutinized by multiple, independent laboratories and subsequently reviewed by an Expert Review Panel. The full study conducted for the AOAC-OMA validation of the 3M Petrifilm Rapid Yeast and Mold Plate will be published in an upcoming edition of the Journal of AOAC INTERNATIONAL and made available online at http://eoma.aoac.org/.
3M introduced the plate in September 2013 as a faster and superior indicator test alternative to conventional agar methods. The test is capable of incubating yeast and mold for easier quantification and interpretation in just 48 hours versus five to seven days, as with other methods. It also mitigates the erratic spreading of molds to facilitate clearer and more accurate colony counting.
“Yeast and mold testing has been a labor intensive, time consuming challenge for food producers for years, as they’ve often been forced to hold their finished goods until this final aspect of release testing is completed,” said Jason Semerad, global marketing manager, 3M Food Safety. “This latest validation demonstrates 3M’s continued commitment to providing fast, reliable, and accurate indicator tests that meet the most stringent industry requirements and gives our global customers additional confidence in using our new technology to support faster product release decisions, longer shelf lives and reduced inventory holding costs.”
The 3M Petrifilm Rapid Yeast and Mold Count Plate is part of a large portfolio of 3M™ Petrifilm™ Plate test technologies that has collectively become a worldwide standard due to its hallmark reliability, accuracy and simplicity in incubating, interpreting and enumerating growth colonies. The technology, especially useful for processors of grain, fruit/vegetables, ingredients and dairy products where yeast and mold control is crucial, has been rigorously tested to perform well on both low and high water activity foods.
For more information, visit www.3M.com/foodsafety/RYMAOACOMA
AOAC INTERNATIONAL is a worldwide provider and facilitator in the development, use and harmonization of validated analytical methods. AOAC methods are used globally to promote trade and to facilitate public health and public safety. AOAC has two programs by which methods are evaluated and approved. These programs are the AOAC-OMA and PTM programs.
3M Food Safety is a leader of innovative solutions that help the food and beverage industries optimize the quality and safety of their products to enable consumer protection. At every step, 3M Food Safety provides solutions that help mitigate risk, improve operational efficiencies and impact the bottom line. For more information, visit www.3M.com/foodsafety or follow @3M_FoodSafety on Twitter.
3M captures the spark of new ideas and transforms them into thousands of ingenious products. Our culture of creative collaboration inspires a never-ending stream of powerful technologies that make life better. 3M is the innovation company that never stops inventing. With $31 billion in sales, 3M employs 89,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit www.3M.com or follow @3MNews on Twitter.
3M and Petrifilm are trademarks of 3M.
Kohnstamm CommunicationsAaron Berstler, 651-789-1264aaron@kohnstamm.com
