Recent Development of Rapid and Automation Technology for Food Microbiological Examination

Interests in the field of rapid methods and automation in microbiology have been growing steadily on an international scale in recent years. International meetings concerned this problem have been held in elsewhere in the world countries since the past twenty years. But, unfortunately in the field of microbial examination in food hygiene, this problem have not yet been developed so much as in the field of clinical microbiology. Today, I would like to introduce you here present aspects of rapid and automation technologies, those which are manly carrying in milk and meats industries. My illustration will be given recent improved technologies using automatic apparatus and instruments along with process of microbial count procedure. Recent direct microbiological counting system (ChemeScan \ulcorner) as real time ultrasensitive analysis created by Cheminex Ltd., France is now most evolutional instrument to provide direct microbial counts, down to one cell, within 30 minutes. The results from these evaluations how a good correlation between the ChemScan system and the standard plate count method. This system will be successful application for not only in the field of pharmacology but also food microbiology. In addition, current identification of microbes by sophisticated instruments suitable for food microbiology, one of which Biology is manual system (BIOLOG\ulcorner), provides reference-level capability at a modes price. For the manual system, the color reactions in the microplate are read by eye and manually keyed into personal computer. Species identification appears on the computer screen within seconds, along with biotype patterns, a list of closely related species, and other useful statistics. In present this is useful application for microbial ecology and epidemiological survey. RiboPrinter system newly produced by DuPont is now focusing among microbiologists in the world, and is one of the biggest microbial characterization system using a DNA-based approach. The technology analyzer is bacterial culture for its genetic fingerprint or riboprint pattern. Finally Bio-cellTracer system for automatic measurement of fungal growth and Fukitori-Maseter, a Surface Hygiene Monitoring Kit by using swabe procedure in food processing environment are briefly illustrated in this presentation.