4 replies to this topic

[Lindarocks209]

Hello All!

I have just started a job as a lab technician for a Animal Nutritional company where they blend and make powdered milk for Livestock. 

 

The last tech walked off the job and no one knows how she preformed the testing on incoming non fat dry milk. My manager is wanted me to do the testing for APC, yeast and mold. I have had some experience with the milk industry however, not on dry ingredients. How much should I mix and the dilutions for each for the testing procedure?

 

Any information is greatly appreciated.

 

Kind Regard,

Linda

[Scampi]

This FDA page may be of assistance

 

www.fda.gov/Food/FoodScienceResearch/LaboratoryMethods/ucm064144.htm

[Lindarocks209]

48 hours to get back to me ugh!!

Thank you my one and only reply...Lol

[Scampi]

You may get more responses yet Linda, but your welcome

[Gerard H.]

Hi Linda,

 

Indeed :-)

 

By rereading your post, there are some questions to ask:

• What's the objective of these microbiological test? What will the results tell you?
• Are you just doing APC / yeast and mold to avoid to send it to an external laboratory?
• More specific to the ingredient Milk powder would be Enterobacteriaceae which has the subgroup Salmonella, which can be an issue in the animal feed branch.
• Furthermore there are other important food safety aspects to check on milk powder, such as residues of antibiotics. And the product integrity, in the light of the huge melamine scandal
• For the test methods, you can generally find ISO methods out there. Maybe you will have to buy them, but you will be sure to use a correct method
• The colour and other sensorial aspects are relevant for an incoming goods control
• And last but not least, the dry matter is an important quality aspect

You can ask for certificates to your supplier. Sometimes you need to do verification of the certificates. Make sure, that your food safety risk assessment is up-to-date and adapted to your raw materials and process conditions.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gerard Heerkens

 

PS - I wish you good luck with your new and interesting position!!!