Millions of Americans get sick annually as a result of consuming contaminated food. Contamination may occur during the production or processing stage. It can also occur during packaging and distribution. Some companies also don’t disclose the exact shelf life of their products, and consumers may consume expired food products, leading to mild or severe diseases. So food manufacturing companies are encouraged to keep high-level standards in all their processes to ensure microorganisms and dirt do not contaminate their products.
Food businesses and companies must invest in microbiological testing to ensure their products are safe for consumption. They should partner with the best microbiological test lab to test their products before they are packaged or released to the market. Here are reasons why food companies should work with reputable microbiology testing laboratories.
To Prevent Contaminated Products from Getting to the Market
The primary aim of microbiological testing is to identify potential contaminants that can lead to food poisoning. A top-rated microbiology test lab has invested heavily in personnel and equipment to test food products. They will determine if the food products of a specific company have harmful microbes or ingredients. If the products have harmful microbes, the lab will recommend that they not be released to the market. They will go a step further to recommend solutions that will help avoid such contamination in the future.
A trusted laboratory will ensure that no harmful products reach the market. If one doesn’t invest in microbiological testing, one may deliver contaminated or poisoned products to the market. An informed customer can take legal action against the company for defective products or food poisoning. The consequences of such a lawsuit are serious and can even bring a company down. So food companies and businesses should work with the best microbiology testing labs to ensure they deliver safe food and products to their customers.
Can Help Improve Quality of Products
After microbiological testing, experienced laboratories will give a report or the result of the analysis. Additionally, they offer recommendations that can help a food processing company improve the quality of its products. The company’s production team can engage the lab experts for a detailed discussion on how to improve their processes to keep contamination at zero levels. It will be upon the production company to implement and adhere to the production guidelines so that food quality standards increase. On the other hand, amateur labs will just give the results, and the story ends there.
Ensures Compliance
A production company must adhere to many state and federal laws to produce safe food products. If the company doesn’t observe the regulations, the FDA and other authorities can take action against it. They risk facing heavy fines, jail terms, and even cancellation of business licenses.
So production companies must take their products through microbiological testing before they are released to the market. A good microbial testing lab will also advise the company on how to avoid getting on the wrong side of the law. And the advice is simple; stick to the production and storage guidelines, and don’t be tempted to take shortcuts. Taking shortcuts in production and storage can be costly in the long run.
Can Help Improve Production and Storage Processes
Microbiology lab technicians know the mistakes that production companies make during processing and storage that lead to food poisoning. When a food company becomes a loyal customer, the lab technicians will be willing to help the company streamline its production and storage processes and avoid microbial contamination. They can also guide companies to choose the right equipment to improve efficiency. Additionally, they can recommend training courses such as HACCP and others to ensure employees are well-equipped to produce safe food and products.
Can Prevent Huge Losses
Although companies will have to spend on microbiology testing, it is worth it. Working with a trusted microbiology test lab can help production companies avoid huge losses associated with shelf life and contamination. If microbial testing shows that your products are contaminated, you will not spend on marketing and distribution. It will also help your business avoid costly lawsuits that can be filed against you by affected consumers. Additionally, microbiological testing will ensure a business adheres to production regulations, eliminating chances of contamination in the future. This increases the quality of food produced by a company, which can help it earn consumers’ trust.
