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HYGIENE AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY |
The division is separated into three analytical areas:
- Microbiological area
- Filth Test area
- ELISA area
In each laboratory tests are performed in order to check the salubrity of food products so that to obtain the widest analysis spectrum.
Main analyses and services
 Microbiological laboratory:
- routine bacterial counts (mesophilic aerobic microorganisms, total coliforms, thermotollerant coliforms, enterobacteriaceae, coagulase-positive staphylococci, yeasts and moulds, characteristic microorganisms of yogurt, etc.)
- search for pathogens (salmonellae, listeria monocytogenes, vibrio, campylobacter, etc.)
- search for bacterial toxins (staphylococci enterotoxins, etc.)
- water analysis
- surfaces checks in order to evaluate the effectiveness of sanitation processes
- microbiological examination of air quality
- detection of water-soluble vitamins of B group (B3, PP vitamin or Niacin; B5 or pantothenic acid; B6 or pyridoxine; B8, H vitamin or biotin; B9 or folic acid; B12 or cyanocobalamin)
- shelf life studies
- identification of yeasts and moulds
- identification of bacteria
- Filth Test laboratory:
- search for solid impurities in food products
- ELISA laboratory:
- search and quantification of gluten and the most important food allergens with ELISA technique; this technique allows the detection of the protein which is involved in the food intolerance, in the case of gluten, or of the protein which produces the allergic reaction; the most important allergens which are analysed are:
- peanut allergen
- shellfish allergen
- milk allergen - casein
- milk allergen – ß-lactoglobulin
- almond allergen
- hazelnut allergen
- sesame allergen
- soybean allergen
- egg allergen
- search for and quantification of algal toxins
Main division resources
- Microbiological laboratory:
- the laboratory has all the equipments and instruments which are necessary for microbiological analyses (laminar air flow cabinets, equipment for the production of purified water Elix3 for the preparation of culture media, incubators with online temperature measurement devices, etc.)
- test methods which are mostly official methods (AFNOR, ISO, etc.)
- VIDAS system for pathogens research
- microbiological air sampler SAS
2. Filth Test laboratory:
- most part of the methods are AOAC methods: food matrices are treated so that they can be observed under the stereomicroscope and/or the microscope
3. ELISA laboratory:
- ELISA microtiter plate spectrophotometer connected to a PC with dedicated software for automatic analysis of data
 MOLECULAR BIOLOGY DIVISION
Purpose of the activity
Molecular biology techniques are nowadays essential for certain analyses, for example the research and quantification of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) in food products with Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique; the same technique allows the identification of animal species by means of the detection of specie-specific DNA sequences. Shortly the applications of PCR are very wide.
Main analyses and services
- qualitative, quantitative and variety GMO analysis
- qualitative detection of DNA of potential food allergens:
 - DNA of peanut
- DNA of almond
- DNA of hazelnut
- DNA of walnut
- DNA of fish
- DNA of celery
- DNA of sesame
- DNA of soybean
- animal species identification (bovine, goat, horse. chicken, turkey, etc.)
Main division resources
- the laboratory is constituted by physically separated rooms for: sample preparation, DNA extraction, amplification reaction preparation, amplified DNA detection
- Instrument Applied Biosystems 7300 Real-Time PCR System
- electrophoresis systems
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