BEHIND THE SCIENCE

 

PHC Corporation of North America recognizes that spoilage is a significant hurdle encountered during the perishable food distribution process. In most cases, the changes in odor, color and flavor associated with spoilage are caused by the growth of microorganisms such as molds, yeast and bacteria. Controlling the conditions and culprits that lead to food spoilage are critical to the food science industry. It is important to utilize the proper tools in food testing applications while adhering to a well-developed protocol to ensure valuable research is not wasted.

 

During distribution and storage, a fraction of microorganisms will develop and create serious deterioration associated with spoilage. These spoilage-specific organisms (SSOs) share common traits that allow them to rise in numbers throughout the spoilage progression, which often occurs at refrigerated distribution stages.¹ The detection of these microorganisms in the early and later stages of production is crucial in determining potential risks associated with spoilage and shelf-life.

 

Beyond identifying new types of SSOs associated with spoilage, research into how these microorganisms grow, endure and evolve is an important aspect of food safety research. Many of these studies must take place over time with careful and accurate temperature change measurement throughout to facilitate reliable results.

 

PHCbi brand temperature-controlled incubators are designed for precision and accuracy to facilitate the stringent demands of perishable food quality testing. Whether your lab is conducting shelf-life testing or measuring the impact of light exposure on produce, each PHCbi brand temperature-controlled incubator model is equipped with a combination of essential technologies that provide extensive capabilities in both temperature programing and lighting.

 

The integration of heating and refrigeration systems allows your research team to test at or around ambient temperatures, which can be a difficult setpoint for other incubation equipment lines. These heated and cooled models have a broader experimental temperature range, allowing hundreds of potential parameters to be utilized with a "hands-off" automated workflow.

 

Using the right tools can help take the quality of your food testing to the next level. PHCbi brand heated and cooled incubators have been an integral tool in published research around the world.

 

Product

• The MIR-554 was used to simulate day & night cycles using the incubator's programmable light protocols. This allowed researchers to measure important nutrition content of microgreens in a simulated environment.²
• The MIR-254 incubator was utilized at a range of programmed temperatures and light variations to identify and study known strawberry pathogens isolates.³

 

Meat

• The MIR-254 incubator was used to achieve three different precise temperature points, 4°C,8°C, and 12°C (± 1°C) in a large sample shelf-study of minced pork.⁴
• The MIR-154 was used to obtain a precise temperature of 7°C (± 1°C) to study the antimicrobial and antioxidative effects of plant powders in raw and cooked minced pork samples over a period of two weeks.⁵

 

Fish

• The MIR-254 incubator was used to study the volatile metabolite and potential spoilage markers in packaged fish samples at a stable 20°C over a fifteen-day period.⁶

 

Grain

• In this study, the MIR-554 incubator was used to obtain programmable temperatures of 30°C, 35°C, 40°C, 45°C, 50°C, and 55.0°C to study the phytic acid (stored phosphorus) in different soaking conditions of brown rice.⁷
• The MIR-154 incubator was used to achieve a steady temperature of 20°C for two weeks in a cereal grain shelf-life study identifying and researchina Microdochium fungi.⁸

 

For more information about how PHCbi brand heated and cooled incubators can support your food testing protocols, visit https://www.phchd.com/us/biomedical/incubators/cooled-incubators.

 

Need answers to questions about heated and cooled incubator models - click here.