Robert J. Stewart

Rapid detection and identification of microbial spoilage

Rapid detection is a relative term that has two distinct yet equally important meanings: rapid in the sense that it will take less time to achieve results, or rapid in that more tests can be performed in the same amount of time. Speed and accuracy are important, as are precision and specificity. False negatives lead to product recalls and consequent economic losses and loss of ‘brand equity,’ whereas false positives lead to unnecessary and costly retention of product and retesting. The cost effectiveness of a test requires the calculation of analyst time (which includes planning, reagent preparation, test setup, and performance and posttest cleanup), as well as the capital investment in equipment. The more user friendly a test system is the better, especially with the current trend in moving responsibility for testing to the plant floor.