Food Safety and Quality Exhibits in Abundance at IFT18

Accelerated Analytical Laboratories described its chemistry, microbiology, and pathogen and allergen testing capabilities using lateral-flow kits, ELISA, and PCR.

Activated Research exhibited the Polyarc system, which integrates into new or existing gas chromatographs with flame ionization detectors. A catalytic microreactor converts all organic compounds to methane before they are detected, and only one equation is required to determine the carbon content and concentration of all species. The system provides simultaneous compound identification and quantification.

Agri-Neo exhibited the Neo-Pure organic liquid derived from plants that serves as a nonthermal kill step for nuts, seeds, and grains. It denatures the cell membranes and DNA of pathogens and other unwanted microbes on contact and has been validated to achieve up to a five-log reduction of pathogens.

Agtron exhibited its spectrophotometers for use in control of appearance, consistency, and quality of a wide variety of products, which require little or no sample preparation.

AIBMR Life Sciences described its scientific and regulatory consulting services, including toxicology studies, GRAS self-determinations and notifications, label reviews, claims substantiation, and other services.

airPHX showcased its nonthermal plasma technology that eliminates pathogens in the air and on products and equipment and other surfaces. Created from ambient air, the plasma provides a highly oxidative environment within a reaction chamber and discharges oxidizing molecules.

Alegre Science exhibited NIUMAG’s nuclear magnetic resonance and magnetic resonance imaging equipment for testing foods for fat and moisture content. The company also exhibited the melloeX portable benchtop liquid carbon dioxide extraction system for botanicals.

Alpha MOS America exhibited the Heracles NEO electronic nose and described its advantages for quality control of food and beverage products.

ALS described its capabilities for detection of pathogens, pesticides, mycotoxins, and adulterants; determination of shelf life and water activity; and nutrient analysis.

AMETEK Arizona Instrument exhibited Computrac moisture analyzers. The Vapor Pro XL is a moisture-specific, chemical-free Karl Fischer alternative; the MAX 4000XL is a rugged loss-on-drying instrument; and the MAX 5000XL has the higher-temperature capabilities of a muffle furnace, allowing for repeatable moisture, solids, and ash testing from a single sample.

AMETEK Brookfield exhibited its line of viscometers, rheometers, texture analyzers, and powder-flow testers.

AMETEK Petrolab introduced the Grabner Instruments MINIVAP VPL VISION, a new automatic instrument for measuring the vapor pressure of low-volatility liquids. It requires only 1 mL of sample per test and yields results within minutes. The company also exhibited the automated MINIFLASH analyzer for analysis of vapor pressure and flashpoint, which uses the Grabner Instruments flashpoint method.

Analytical Flavor Systems described the Gastrograph AI artificial intelligence platform for modeling and predicting the sensory preferences of target consumer demographics.

Anton Paar exhibited its density and concentration instruments, particle analyzers, Raman spectrometers, rheometers, polarimeters, refractometers, and other instruments.

ATAGO USA exhibited Hikari’s PAL-HIKARi IR Brix Meter, which measures the sugar level of fruits by simple contact with a fruit without needing to cut or squeeze it. Regardless of fruit shape, the instrument provides a snug fit that eliminates measurement discrepancies caused by external light interference. The battery-operated, handheld refractometer requires no calibration, and fruit color does not affect the measurement.

Atlantia Food Clinical Trials described its standard clinical studies for functional foods and beverages, nutraceuticals, medical foods, and dietary supplements.

Beckman Coulter Life Sciences showcased the LS 13 320 XR particle-size analyzer for wet and dry samples. The instrument combines laser diffraction with advanced polarization intensity differential scattering, enabling measurement of particles ranging in size from 10 nm to 3,000 μm.

Bia Diagnostics exhibited the Generon PCR extraction and detection kits and described ELISA testing for allergens, real-time PCR testing for genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and food authenticity determination.

bioMérieux exhibited rapid tests for quality-indicator enumeration (TEMPO) and pathogen detection (VIDAS and GENE-UP), virus detection (CEERAMTOOLS), quantitative microbiological quality control organisms (BIOBALL), and laboratory efficiency (LEAN).

Burdock Group described its international safety and regulatory compliance consulting services.

Campden BRI described its scientific, technical, legislative, and information services.

CEM exhibited the SMART 6 Moisture/Solids Analyzer, the new ORACLE Universal Fat Analyzer, and the Sprint Protein Analyzer. Multiple instruments can be linked through the company’s MetaBridge software to a single web-based interface.

Certified Laboratories described its analytical and validation services.

Chestnut Labs described its food microbiology, chemistry, research, training, auditing, and consulting services.

Compusense described the Compusense Cloud web-based software for sensory and consumer testing.

Covance described its product and process development, nutrient and contaminant analysis, and food safety consulting and training services.

C.W. Brabender Instruments exhibited its analytical instruments for the milling, baking, and starch industries. The Farinograph-TS has a new modular footprint with touchscreen capability that allows for multi-access tracking of results, the MT-CA Moisture Tester determines water content within 0.1% and measures up to 10 samples at a time, and the new GlutoPeak measures gluten aggregation in minutes.

Emport exhibited rapid food safety tests GlutenTox and AlerTox, which detect gluten and other allergens in foods and on surfaces, and the OleoTest, which measures total polar comp-pounds in frying oil.

EMSL Analytical described its microbiological, nutritional, and chemical analyses and analyses of allergens, toxins, and adulterants.

ESHA Research exhibited the Genesis R&D Food Analysis and Labeling software that analyzes the nutrient content of formulations and generates Nutrition Facts panels, ingredient and allergen statements, and barcodes.

Eurofins Scientific described its analytical and other laboratory and food safety services and the Eurofins Technology test kits.

Food Allergy Research and Resource Program described its analytical, training, risk-assessment, and consulting services regarding allergenic foods and ingredients.

FoodChain ID exhibited its food safety and quality certification and verification services, including non-GMO verification.

Food Safety Net Services described its real-time data access, education, and auditing services.

Freeman Technology exhibited the FT4 Powder Rheometer, which uses dynamic methodology, automated shear cells, and bulk property tests to quantify powder flow and processability; the Uniaxial Powder Tester, which measures the uniaxial unconfined yield strength of a powder to assess flowability; and Lenterra’s optical Drag Force Flow sensor, which offers in-line, real-time flow measurement.

Gilson exhibited the ASPEC positive-pressure-manifold high-performance liquid chromatograph and the PLC 2250 centrifugal partition chromatograph.

Higuchi/IntelligentSensor Technology showcased the Taste Sensing System TS-5000Z electronic tongue. It has lipid-membrane sensors that mimic the human tongue by quantifying bitterness, sourness, saltiness, umami, sweetness, and astringency.

Hunterlab exhibited color-measuring instruments, including the portable MiniScan, the Vista transmission colorimeter, and the Aeros spectrophotometer.

Hygiena described its testing services for microbial detection, monitoring, and identification and allergen and environmental testing.

Institute for Food Safety and Health described its workshops, conferences, collaborative research, and development; laboratories for microbiological testing, instrument analysis, and genomic sequencing; and pilot plant with high-pressure, pulsed ultraviolet light, infrared thermal processing, and cool plasma technologies.

Interscience Laboratories described its equipment for microbiology, ranging from solid sample preparation to final bacterial enumeration.

Intertek described its analytical testing services for dietary supplements and natural products, including determination of the microscopic characteristics and chemical composition of botanical materials.

Invisible Sentinel exhibited Veriflow pathogen-detection tests, which have been verified by the AOAC Performance Tested Methods Program for Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and other pathogens.

LECO exhibited the new Pegasus BT 4D GCxGC thermal modulation system, which can be used to identify unknown analytes in food samples; the TGM800 Thermogravimetric Moisture Determinator, which measures moisture content by loss on drying and can measure 16 samples at a time; and the ChromaTOF software, which provides analyte identification and quantification.

Malvern Instruments exhibited a Malvern Panalytical instrument that provides elemental analysis and measures moisture, protein, sugar, and fat content as well as blend uniformity, particle size, and rheological properties.

Medallion Labs described its chemical analysis, dietary fiber testing, microbiological analysis, sensory evaluation, and shelf-life services and discussed the In Vitro Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score method that measures protein quality.

Mérieux NutriSciences described its testing, labeling, auditing, consulting, sensory, training, and research services and Biofortis clinical research services.

METER demonstrated the SKALA AQ2 water activity meter, which delivers digital data in real time. The SKALA Hub has six extra ports for connecting other instruments to collect all readings automatically in one place, tied to batches or lots.

Mettler Toledo exhibited its line of balances, moisture analyzers, pH meters and sensors, UV/Vis spectrophotometers, density meters, refractometers, and titrators.

Microtrac exhibited its instruments for determination of particle size and count, zeta potential, molecular weight, 3D dynamic image analysis, and surface analysis.

MVTL Laboratories described its chemical and microbiological analyses and consulting and environmental swabbing services.

NDC Technologies exhibited the MM710e infrared on-line food gauge and InfraLab e-Series at-line food analyzer, which measure moisture, fat, protein, and collagen.

Neogen displayed the rapid Listeria Right Now test for environmental surfaces. The sampling method and materials capture any Listeria present; then the reagents amplify the Listeria to detectable levels in less than 60 minutes without enrichment. The resulting reaction is measured by luminescence. The company also exhibited the Accupoint Advanced ATP sanitation monitoring instrument.

Nestlé Quality Assurance Center described its capabilities for nutritional analysis, chemical analysis, and testing for allergens, GMOs, and spoilage microorganisms.

Neutec Group exhibited the Novasina water activity meters, Biotool Swiss automated microbiology equipment, Amphasys Flow Cytometer automated cell counter, and VideometerLab 4 Multispectral Imager for determination of surface color, texture, shape, size, and chemical composition.

Northland Laboratories described its microbiology, chemistry, sensory evaluation, process validation, shelf-life determination, and consulting services.

Novolyze introduced the SurroNov dried, ready-to-use surrogate bacteria that mimic foodborne pathogens and can be used for process validation and verification.

NP Analytical Laboratories described its chemical, nutritional, and microbiological testing services, including testing for heavy metals and pesticide residues.

NSI Lab Solutions described its certified microbiology and chemistry reference materials and proficiency testing standards.

OMIC USA described its pesticide residue, mycotoxin, heavy metal, GMO, allergen, microbiological, and nutritional analyses.

PerkinElmer showcased the Spectrum Two N Fourier transform near-infrared spectrometer. The portable instrument features plug-and-play sampling accessories and optional modules, including the Near Infrared Reflectance Module for analyzing opaque or highly scattering solid samples, such as seeds and powders on plastic or glass petri dishes; the Heatable Transmission Module for measurement of edible oils in disposable vials or cuvettes; and the Remote Sampling Module for quick identification of homogeneous foods through the container.

Perry Johnson Registrars Food Safety described its food safety certification services.

Photovolt Instruments exhibited the 580-PC reflectance colorimeter, which provides reflectance, L*a*b, and other color readings.

Plexsense described its ELISA test kit for mycotoxins.

Process Sensors introduced the new QuikCheck-BCU at-line analyzer, which simultaneously determines brownness and moisture content of baked goods in less than 10 seconds, and demonstrated the MCT469-SF online moisture and oil sensor.

Q Laboratories described its services, including pathogen detection, microbial identification, nutritional analysis, allergen screening, chemical analysis, shelf-life studies, and verification studies.

R-Biopharm exhibited its lateral-flow test kit for gluten analysis and other test kits for clinical diagnostics and food and feed analysis.

R&F Laboratories described its services, including customized research, shelf-life studies, challenge studies, microbiological analysis, HACCP assessment, and laboratory gap audits.

Rega Biotechnology exhibited its lateral-flow rapid tests for detecting plant and fish viruses, food allergens, mycotoxins, and antibiotics.

Safe Quality Food Institute described its global food safety and quality certification programs.

SGS North America described its inspection, testing, auditing, certification, and consulting services.

Shimadzu Scientific Instruments exhibited the UV1900 double-beam scanning spectrophotometer and the benchtop MALDI-TOF 8020 for determination of sugars, pesticides, mycotoxins, and bacterial identification.

Southwest Research Institute described its formulation and process development services regarding encapsulation, microencapsulation, and nanoencapsulation.

Sympatec described its modular instruments for particle size and shape analysis of dry powders, granules, fibers, suspensions, emulsions, gels, sprays, and inhalants ranging in size from 0.5 nm to 34,000 μm.

TEGAM introduced the handheld 931B and 932B datalogging thermometers, which record temperature, time, and location. The 932B duo-channel instrument can record two temperatures. Both thermometers feature 1,000-hour battery life, one-hand operation, Bluetooth connectivity, free cloud access, and a mobile app.

TEWS of America exhibited microwave instruments, including the MW 4300, which measures moisture content and bulk density without sample preparation; the MW 1150, which is designed for the lab or process line and measures moisture content in less than a second; and the MW 4260/70, which measures moisture content online at up to 3,500 measurements per second.

Texture Technologies introduced the Stable Micro Systems TA.XTPlusConnect line of texture analyzers. The TA.XTPlus, TA.HDPlus, and TA.XTExpress Connect can be networked to set up and collect data remotely via Ethernet. Users can operate these instruments using a touchscreen in standalone mode or a web browser interface on their phone, tablet, or laptop. Standard calculations have been built in for determination of specific moduli, stresses, strains, strengths, and energies.

Thermo Fisher Scientific showcased the Gallery Automated Photometric Analyzer, which provides colorimetric, enzymatic, and electrochemical measurements at up to 200 tests per hour.

Thrive4Life described its regulatory services for domestic and foreign food, beverage, and dietary supplement companies, including regulatory compliance assistance, label development/review, formulation guidance, and third-party audits.

Unity Scientific introduced the at-line Unity Food Analyzer, which measures moisture, protein, fat, and other constituents in 30 seconds.

US Pharmacopeia described its quality standards for foods, drugs, and dietary supplements and exhibited the Food Chemicals Codex and associated Reference Materials that enable manufacturers to verify the identity, quality, and purity of food ingredients.

Waters described its separations and analytical science, laboratory informatics, mass spectrometry, and thermal analysis instruments and services.

Where Food Comes From described its verification and certification programs.

Xylem Analytics showcased the new Bellingham + Stanley RFM-M Series refractometers, which feature a display of measurement parameters, data storage, and a library of more than 20 recognized scales. Complex models in the series include Peltier temperature control, RFID user clearance, and audit trails with electronic signatures. The RFM340-M provides accurate analysis for controlling critical blend ratios of edible oils, carbonated soft drinks, and fruit juices.

Neil H. Mermelstein, a Fellow of IFT, is editor emeritus of Food Technology ([email protected]).