Devices for laboratory testing

Hello everyone!

Our company is building new factory and now we decided to have our own laboratory. For these reason I have some questions: please can anybody tell me about devices we need for laboratory testing for potato chips: microbiology(total bacteria count, Salmonella etc.), chemical data (NaCl, fatt etc.), physical data (moisture etc.). Please tell the name of device, where i can buy it and maybe yours proposals.

Thank you!

Have a nice spring day
Darya

Dear Ms darya,

Yr request is of considerable scope.

One immediate constraint is financial, ie how much to invest ?

Not sure if you are from technical background yourself ? Or do you hv any existing personnel who will understand any comments made ?

If yr technical backup is low, i would suggest you hire a consultant as the requirements are not that simple. Alternatively a suitably qualified / experienced / intended user of the facilities can be workable sometimes.

As far as micro is concerned, FAO do publish a quite useful layout and basic equipment / media / personnel for microbiological work although the latest rev. seems approx 2003 so probably assumes traditional methods rather than the more modern hi-speed kits (latter are undoubtedly good but sadly too expensive for labs in many countries).

(I think FAO also discuss chem.testing labs but don't know a link)

Rgds / Charles.C

My advice is to see the methods to be used. They may be standard methods (ISO or anothers) or you want to use express method, or someone else. Within the methods are the equipments type, then see firms, that have such equipments, (Merck, Sigma-Aldrich, Eppendorf, Bindder, Kern & Sohn, VWR etc.). Also keep some place for additional equipmets.
Good luck!

Thank you Charles.C for your answer and for good advice. But in our factory, there is no other person that undersands somethning in Food quality, safety and legality.
As i`m MsScience, I know something about microbiological, chemical and physical analysis. I`ve talked to my collegues in Food microbiology service and Food chemical-physical service. I`ve god some advices. Generally, our product - potato chips is not one of risk products. So for microbiol.we choose ISO standarts and for other we will use some equipment: NIR spectrometr, NaCl analyzator and pH/ aW meter.

Is it possible to get ISO 17025 for this laboratory or not?

Dear Ms darya,

Yr request is of considerable scope.

One immediate constraint is financial, ie how much to invest ?

Not sure if you are from technical background yourself ? Or do you hv any existing personnel who will understand any comments made ?

If yr technical backup is low, i would suggest you hire a consultant as the requirements are not that simple. Alternatively a suitably qualified / experienced / intended user of the facilities can be workable sometimes.

As far as micro is concerned, FAO do publish a quite useful layout and basic equipment / media / personnel for microbiological work although the latest rev. seems approx 2003 so probably assumes traditional methods rather than the more modern hi-speed kits (latter are undoubtedly good but sadly too expensive for labs in many countries).

(I think FAO also discuss chem.testing labs but don't know a link)

Rgds / Charles.C