When investigating foods using traditional growth based microbiology the types of agar, the incubation temperature and duration to be used would be chosen by microbiologists based on what organisms they expect to be in the sample from experience of similar products.

Injured organisms, organisms that may affect quality or shelf life of your product, or major spoilage groups which are present in the product – even in large numbers – can remain “invisible” simply because they cannot grow on the chosen agars. Whilst this is currently the method used across the industry, there is a chance that the organism identified as the spoiler is not to blame and has merely been selected for by the growth conditions chosen by the investigator.

However, Advanced Microbial Profiling (AMP), a DNA based technique can be used to determine more exactly the unique mix of microorganisms in a sample (its microbiome) without needing to culture them in the lab.

In this whiteboard presentation, Greg Jones – molecular microbiologist specialising in food safety and spoilage at Campden BRI, explains how DNA profiling can reveal so much more about the microbiological quality of food than can traditional culture techniques alone. He covers:

• What is advanced microbial profiling?
• How does it work and what can it tell us?
• How can it be used to troubleshoot spoilage problems and determine quality – in a range of products?

Presentation can be viewed at www.campdenbri.co.uk/talking-heads/food-quality-amp.php