Lactic acid bacteria control

In food processing, lactic acid bacteria can be friend or foe. Kept in check, these organisms help produce fermented foods ranging from smooth yogurts to crunchy pickles – and can even be leveraged for probiotic purposes. But under low oxygen, low temperature and acidic conditions, the bacteria can cause spoilage, discoloration, bloated packages and textures, odours and flavours that displease customers, trigger recalls and cause food waste. To help food processing companies streamline complicated labour-intensive testing methods, 3M Food Safety introduces the 3M Petrifilm Lactic Acid Bacteria Count Plate with a more efficient, all-in-one solution for monitoring lactic acid bacteria levels in food products and manufacturing environments. The plate offers all of the time-honoured benefits of the award-winning 3M Petrifilm Plates – simplicity, reliability, productivity, and sustainability – while eliminating the need for the costly anaerobic equipment used with traditional methods. For the first time ever, the 3M Petrifilm Lactic Acid Bacteria Count Plate combines oxygen-scavenging technology and oxygen-barrier films to create a self-contained anaerobic environment. Now food processors and testing laboratories can get true, accurate anaerobic results using aerobic incubation conditions, providing enhanced recovery of lactic acid bacteria within 48 hours. www.3M.com