Case Studies

Agence Francaise de Securite Sanitaire des Aliments, France

• Advising a quality manager facing repeated detections of a same clone of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat food because of persistence of L. monocytogenes in the environment
• Advising a quality manager facing repeated detections of a same clone of a Staphylococcus in chicken because of persistence in the environment
• Advising a quality manager on the microbiological safety of an experimental cheese making workshop
• Advising on flooring material for food processing premises

Agricultural University of Athens, Greece

• Survival of probiotic in animal (goat) feed in collaboration with Anidral S.A. & PITTAS S.A.
• PITTAS (Prediction of shelf life in yoghurts)
• GRANAROLO (Assessment of the current microbiological status and assessment of the applied preventive, monitoring and analytical measures)
• PITTAS (Assessment of the current microbiological status and assessment of the applied preventive, monitoring and analytical measures)

CONGEN Biotechnologie GmbH, Germany

• customers mostly SMEs for realtime PCR 
• The microarray is being prepared for marketintroduction

Corvinus Unersity of Budapest, Hungary 

• Detection and identification of Campylobacters by traditional and molecular techniques
• Investigation of poultry spoiling microbiota:
• Application of PCR-based techniques in identification.
• Shelf-life of vacuum-packed and aerobically stored poultry
• Investigation of sanitation efficiency by ATP measurement in food processing

EBTE Consultants, Greece

• Design, implementation, auditing FSM – QAS’s in SME’s, in Greece and Cyprus, for Meat, Dairy, Bakery, Logistics

Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Germany

• Within the frame of Pathogen Combat and in collaboration with two German SMEs: detection and identification of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, Salmonella, Enterococci, Campylobacter jejuni, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Listeria monocytogenes by traditional and molecular techniques
• Application of molecular biology techniques for the detection of possible critical control points
• General problem identification and problem solving

Ghent University, Belgium

• Frank Devlieghere: food safety, food preservation, food packaging, conservation, mild processing
• Andreja Rajkovic: Quality assurance, problem solving in food quality and safety, Central and Eastern Europe
• Liesbeth Jacxsens: implementing FSMS in SME’s in Belgium, the Netherlands
• Measuring the perfomance of the correct FSMS at PC SME’s by the FSMS diagnostic instrument and by Microbial Assessment Scheme (MAS)
• Autocontrol guidelines for different type of sector organisations in order to assist in implementing food safety, HACCP, legal requirements,…. Approved by Belgian FAVV
• Collaboration with over 100 SME’s in food processing (dairy, meat, seafood, fruits and vegetables, RTE food, chocolates and biscuiterie, etc.) with regard to collaboration in microbial food analysis, implementation of Food Safety Management systems and problem solving with regard to food safety and food spoilage

Institute Nationale de la Recherche Agronomique, France

• INRA GPTA has collaborated with several SMEs (directly or through technical working groups chaired by the French technical centres as the Centre Technique des Industries Mécaniques (CTIM) on the improvement of the hygienic design of process equipment
• INRA GPTA is currently in collaborative research projects with SMEs on development and use of novel cleaning methods (as pulsed flow, new detergents against biofilms)

Institute Technique Francais des Fromages, France

• HACCP system: 3 training courses and 5 implementations
• Good Hygienic Practices: 8 training courses for 101 milk producers
• Wooden supports: 6 years of research in direct collaboration with cheese ripeners
• Challenge test and predictive microbiology: 9 years of expertise
• Several interventions in SME’s to eliminate contaminations of the food chain
• QADD and Risk assesment : several studies in progress

Technical University of Denmark

• DIFRES has collaborated with several SMEs on controlling Listeria monocytogenes contamination in the food processing environment. We have provided tools (sampling, isolation, sub-typing) for assessing contamination routes, hence identifying the niches in the production site where cleaning and disinfection must be intensified to control the bacterium
• DIFRES is currently in a collaborative research projects with 4-5 SMEs on development and use of novel physical based disinfection methods (UVC, Sonosteam, drying)
• Design of a new deboning device for fish products which is more hygienic
• Design improvements concerning placement of valves and pumps
• Facilitation easy access to information in guidelines (EHEDG), EU norms and FDA documents
• Cleaning optimisation in closed processes
• General problem identification and problem solving

The Manchester Metropolitan University, United Kingdom

• Screening a range of food soils of varying concentrations to determine the level of detection for ultra-violet sensing equipment (Bactoforce). Suggesting use of different wavelength and applications for the technology to extend current usage. Provision of images
• Developing methods for evaluating the effectiveness of a novel cleaning technology involving application of heat and cleaning agent customised to the type of soil present (Winnats Scientific Services)

University of Bologna, Italy

• PatCom: collaboration with Ziegler and Pittas

University of Udine/Torino, Italy

• Collaboration with a small SME producing fermented sausages to select strains to be used in sausage fermentation. After an examination of the product, we isoalted several strains that then were tested in the product of the company.
• Within the frame of Pathogen Combat: collaboration with Granarolo (not an SME) for the environmental control of Listeria monocytogenes by culture-independent methods, such as qPCR. The applicability of the results turns out to be pretty good, giving the possibility to control this pathogen in shorter time than the traditional methods.

Wageningen University, the Netherlands

• Measuring performance of food quality management in ca 50 bakeries (SMEs and industries)
• About 15 small research projects to support development of techno-managerial diagnostic instrument for assessment of FSMS (various sectors in France, Greece, Spain, Canada, China: meat, dairy, vegetables, tea)
• In small research projects the FSMS diagnostic instrument have been validated and applied (in semi quantitative studies): fish industry (25 companies in Phillipines), tofu industry (15 companies in Indonesia), vegetable oil industry (10 companies in the Netherlands), catering (7 restaurants in Spain, 7 restaurants/catering in the Netherlands), tea industry
• Measuring performance of food safety management systems in PathogenCombat companies (dairy and meat producers in Spain, Cyprus, Hungary, Italy)
• Analysis of potential opportunities for optimalisation of food quality in horticulture production chains in the Netherlands, from grower to retailer
• Interactive workshops with stakeholders representing food companies and consumers to improve transparant policy making
• Research projects with many SMEs and large food industries about various food quality management issues (not only food safety)
• Various PhD projects on FQM projects in collaboration with companies

Vermicon AG, Germany

• Established network with customers worldwide (Europe, South Africa and Japan): services and testkits
• Development of specific gene probes and application for detection/quantification of probiotics in yoghurts, pharmaceutical products (Germany)
• Routine analysis of drink-spoiling organsims (breweries: e.g. Germany, Netherlands, Poland; juices: e.g. Germany, South Africa, Poland, France)
• Development of routine analysis tool for the detection of nitrifiers in fermentation tanks (USA)
• Analysis of uncultivable contaminants in fermentation tanks. Has led to optimisation of production (Germany)
• Identification of unknown cultures isolated from pharmaceutical production environment (Cyprus)