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Customer testimonial: CERALIM

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Up to three times less plating and dilutions thanks to the Spiral method.

M. Frédéric JAFFRENNOU, Microbiologist Manager
CERALIM
Independent laboratory
Saint-Cyr-en-Val, FRANCE

CERALIM is an independent laboratory (member of the Réseau France Labo) specializing in microbiological analyses for industry, food, processed and prepared food, health and environmental sectors. CERALIM is accredited by COFRAC under N 1.1546 in accordance with ISO 17025 standard for food and water microbiology.

Location: Saint-Cyr-en-Val, FRANCE
Work with: easySpiral

Ceralim
User of easySpiral CERALIM

Interview with Mr Frédéric JAFFRENNOU, Microbiologist, CERALIM:
Why did you need an automatic plater?

“ Between 1992 and 2000, CERALIM was a correspondent for the Institut Pasteur de Lille (SERMHA) in the Centre region.

The SERMHA team was equipped with an automatic spiral plater for their agri-food analyses and implemented the Spiral technique validation process for total flora and coliforms; our CERALIM laboratory is also equipped with a spiral plater.

There are 3 major players on the market for the Spiral plating technique. For several years, we have had a competitor’s spiral plater, with which we had a high cost of consumables and difficulties in maintaining it. We decided to go for a plater that cleans and disinfects itself automatically, so we would only have to use consumable beakers. Interscience’s easySpiral proved to be much easier to use and much faster than the other platers on the market.„

How has easySpiral changed the way you work?

“We currently use it in the laboratory for counting mesophilic aerobic micro-organisms and coliforms as part of our COFRAC accredited analyses.

We use it as part of the standardization of surface plating for counting lactic acid bacteria and Pseudomonas spp, and also as an in-house method for counting yeasts and Enterobacteriaceae.

If we had to carry out manual plate plating for each of these parameters, we would lose a lot of time, especially for our end-of-life samples, which are very high in mesophilic aerobic germs and lactic bacteria, and for which we would have to dilute to 10-6.

In addition, the new FCD (Fédération des entreprises du Commerce et de la Distribution) criteria now systematically require the ratio of total flora to lactic bacteria for analyses of products at the end of their use-by date. For this type of report, the easySpiral is a real added value for us, because it allows us to have two homogeneous methods between the analysis of aerobic mesophilic germs and lactic bacteria and to have ratios close to 1.


The customer is very happy to have a coherent result. The two easySpiral we have are used on a daily basis. At the beginning, we had to set up a disinfection protocol adapted to our needs. In addition to disinfection, cleaning and degreasing are fundamental points for us. We analyse meat-based food matrices rich in collagen and fat, which clog up the tubing and the filter. To do this, we leave the enzyClear to work overnight, allowing the enzyme to destroy the residue and prevent the biofilm from forming.

The Spiral plating method is also a more environmentally-friendly method, which means less waste and Petri dishes.

With just two plates and two dilutions, we can obtain results that are just as accurate as using the conventional dilution method, which requires a minimum of 6 plates. On some matrices, we can divide our number of dishes by three. If we took our easySpiral from the laboratory, our technicians wouldn’t like it! „

How do you see the spiral method developing and becoming standardized?

“I have noticed that this method is still not widely used in laboratories, but above all, some of my microbiology colleagues are still reluctant to develop it.

The positive points are that changes in hygiene criteria have enabled us to develop the ISO 7218 standard, with the disappearance of the spiral standard NFV08-100 and recognition of its use for media plated on the surface.


I think it would be fairly easy to have this method validated as part of the development of method NFV08-054: ‘Counting Enterobacteriaceae’, bearing in mind that the difference between VRBG (Enterobacteriaceae) and VRBL (Coliforms) is based solely on the ‘sugar’ used.

This method would be highly relevant and, above all, highly efficient in the field of water microbiology, particularly for counting bacteria that can be revived at 22°C and 36°C.„

Why choose Interscience?

“Interscience is a fast-growing company with a real R&D drive to improve its products and support its customers, not just to sell. Exchanges with the after-sales service have always been very productive. We’ve tried to understand things together, to test things internally in relation to the difficulties we’ve encountered, and we’ve always managed to find solutions. Machine loans are always available when we need them.

We’re part of a group of laboratories called RFL (Réseau France Labo), in which we’re real promoters of your products, your brand and your easySpiral. We are getting good feedback from easySpiral to new laboratories in the group and advise them on protocols for use and disinfection protocols. We have a very good relationship and collaboration with Interscience. We were also involved in an exchange with one of Interscience’s international customers.„

ANALYSES PROTOCOL

• Type of samples: all types of matrix, mainly foodstuffs of animal origin
• Number of analyses per day: between 80 and 150 samples
• Dilution modes: manual mode
• Bacteria: Total Flora, Lactic Flora, Escherichia coli, Coliforms, Pseudomonas
• Culture media: media prepared in automatic homogenizers, plates poured and dried in a controlled environment, and stored in a cold room.
• Number of Petri dishes plated per day: between 150 and 600
• Way of counting colonies: manual mode

 

Food
Food
Environment
Environment

 

Customer testimonial: Ceralim (273 kb)
Customer testimonial: Ceralim (273 kb)
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