Ghent University, Belgium

• Detection methods
• Food microbiology analytics under accreditation system: Spoilage organisms
• total aerobic and anaerobic count, spores of aerobic and anaerobic organisms
• yeasts and molds, osmophilic yeasts
• lactic acid bacteria
• sulphite reducing clostridia and spores
• Foodborne pathogens
• Salmonella spp.
• Listeria spp. and Listeria monocytogenes
• Campylobacter jejuni/coli
• Escherichia coli O157
• coagulase positive Staphylococcus aureus
• Bacillus cereus and spores
• Clostridium perfringens and spores
• Enterobacter sakazakii
• Detection of Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus toxins
• Microbial challenge testing
• Research support (Follow-up of recent developments in officially recognized ISO methods; Optimization and evaluation of alternative (rapid) detection methods for foodborne pathogens; Characterization of emerging pathogens: prevalence, growth and survival, virulence)
• Microbial analysis of foods in accredited (ISO 17025) laboratory
• Microbial ecology of food: definition of microbial parameters of interest being both foodborne pathogens and food spoilage indicators with regard to a particular food
• Hygiene and new processing techniques
• Hygiene indicators
• Enterobacteriaceae, coliforms, thermotolerant (fecal) coliforms, Escherichia coli
• Enterococci
• Foodborne pathogens
• Food Spoilage
• Accredited microbial analysis
• Packaging
• Preservation and mild inactivation techniques
• Predictive microbiology
• Risk analysis and quality assurance
• Food Managemant Safety
• FSMS implementation and design
• HACCP analysis
• Legislation regarding food safety – food hygiene
• Validation and verification of FSMS
• QA systems in food industry (BRC, IFS, ISO 22000,…) and implementing them in practice
• Back up with regard to mandatory analysis and microbial criteria in the frame of EU legislation in food safety
• Microbial analysis in the frame of validation and verification of Food Safety Management systems
• Problem solving with regard to reoccuring food safety and food spoilage problems in minimal processed food
• Case studies
• 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

Contact details

Dr. ir. Liesbeth Jacxsens
Department of Food Safety and Food Quality
Faculty of Bio-science engineering
Belgium
Coupure links 653, B-9000 GENT
Building: block B - 4th floor - room 016
Telephone: + 32 9264 6085
Telefax: + 32 9225 5510
E-mail:
URL: www.ugent.be

http://www.FoodMicrobiology.UGent.be

http://www.nutriFOODchem.ugent.be