Microbiological contamination detection kits are designed to detect metabolites produced during cellular respiration.
Gabriela Andrietta
Microbiological Contamination Detection Kits
"The kit is capable of identifying contamination in various matrices, such as milk, canned meat and vegetables. The living microorganisms present breathe, producing specific metabolites. We use a chemical reagent that reacts with these metabolites, causing a color change that indicates the presence of contamination," explains professor Henrique Ferreira, from the Department of Microbiology at Unesp and developer of the kit.
Reagents that detect food contamination
These kits are especially useful for detecting contamination in products such as UHT milk, which undergo sterilization processes and should not contain live microorganisms. However, the technology can be adapted to any matrix that needs to be sterilized.
Early detection of contaminants can prevent the production of tons of contaminated products, saving time and resources. In the food industry, in which production is on a large scale, "a preventive test allows you to monitor the production line every hour or in specific parts of the day, being able to interrupt mass production to avoid large losses," highlights Professor Henrique.
Legislation requires products such as UHT milk to be stored for up to seven days or more to detect contamination by conventional methods, such as cultivation. With the new kits, detection can be carried out in a few hours, eliminating the need for long storage periods and significantly reducing warehouse costs.
Additionally, releasing contaminated products onto the market can result in costly recalls and consumer complaints. Contaminated products can swell due to the production of gases by bacteria, causing losses and dissatisfaction. Contamination detection kits avoid this problem by identifying unsafe products days or weeks in advance.
The high sensitivity of the kits allows the detection of a minimum number of living contaminating cells, ensuring that products unsuitable for consumption are identified before reaching the consumer.
Professor Henrique Ferreira's laboratory team
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