Lactose broth is important for testing for toxic food in the industrial food sector. You might wonder if you can save money by creating your own lactose broth. However, this is not an option for several reasons.
Lactose Broth Is Difficult to Create
A lactose broth must be created in a very controlled environment. They are designed to detect bacteria in food, and nothing else can contaminate them. If the broth is contaminated, it might detect bacteria when there aren't any bacteria actually present in the food. For the lactose broth to be effective, it must be sterile.
The plants used to make lactose broth are regulated by the government to ensure that they can function properly and keep industrial food products safe. The government inspections that you would have to undergo for the lactose broth to be suitable would be too onerous for an industrial food production facility and are better carried out by a company that specializes in creating lactose broth.
The Broth Must Be Kept Away From Food Products
The lactose broth should only be used near food products that are suspected of having levels of bacteria that could make someone sick. Food and drinks that are taken as samples to be tested using lactose broth need to be disposed of afterward.
Even if the test sample reveals that the batch of food is safe to consume, the sample taken to be tested must always be disposed of. Therefore, the lactose broth cannot be produced in the same factory where the food to be tested is produced.
Lactose broth is able to detect Salmonella and coliform organisms. The pouches are hermetically sealed in Mylar pouches to ensure that they are fresh for their shelf life. If the lactose broth has not been used by the expiration date, it will need to be disposed of.
Lactose Broth Protects Your Company
It's essential that you test your food products to ensure that they are not contaminated. If your company has a food outbreak, it might be subjected to greater regulatory scrutiny. If someone is injured as a result of consuming your product, you may be subjected to a class action lawsuit. You will need to have your product pulled from shelves, which will cost your company money.
Also, your company's reputation will be tarnished by a food scare. Fortunately, with the right sanitation procedures and with the use of lactose broth, you can reduce the risk of your product being contaminated by Salmonella. Contact a company like Culture Media Concepts to learn more.