Ultra Rapid Product Release & Process Control using D-Count®

D-Count® has been specifically designed to provide fast microbiological results, from raw materials to finished products.

Through its unique menu of rapid microbiology tests, D-Count® offers substantial financial savings through the implantation of real-time quality programmes and rapid end product release.

The D-Count® method for the microbiological release of of food, beverages, dairy and cosmetic products is a fully automated flow cytometer with an autosampler which provides user friendly, very sensitive and quantitative analyses in a minute cycle. Usually, the time for product releases is reduced by between two and five days.

D-Count® is able to examine a wide range of products – largely without any interfering influences caused by the product matrix. Apart from that, this method also detects viable and possible product affecting micro organisms which do not grow on the respective culture medium (viable but non culturable).

The system automatically labels micro organisms in the products with the patented viability marker Fluorassure, which provides a reliable differentiation between viable and non-viable cells. After the micro organisms have been labelled, the sample is automatically injected into the quartz flow cell of the fully automated flow cytometer.

Here, the fluorescently labelled micro organisms separately pass a laser beam and they are detected by sensitive photo detectors. Afterwards, the result of the analysis is stated in cells per millilitre or gram.

Several D-Count® applications are available:

- Detection of yeast and bacteria in filterable beverages (48 hours)
- Detection of yeast in filterable beverages (22 hours)
- Determination of Total Viable Count (TVC) in nonfilterable beverages (72 hours)
- Determination of TVC in concentrates (48 hours)
- Direct count of TVC in water (30 minutes)
- Detection of Enterobacteriaceae in water (10 hours)
- Detection of TVC in UHT milk (24 hours)
- Detection of yeast in fermented milk products (24 hours)
- Detection of TVC in desserts (24 hours)

The sample performance of D-Count® allows from 250 up to 1 000 analyses per working shift, depending on the kind of application. The system is operated by one person. By providing fast microbial test data for both product release and process control, D-Count® maximises opportunities to increase profitability and improve quality.