What Is Microbial Identification and Why Is It Important?

Did you know that the use of molecular techniques to identify bacteria started in the 1960s? If you work in an industry where food is involved or own a restaurant, cafe, food truck, etc, knowing the ins and outs of microbial identification is crucial.

Keep reading to learn everything you need to know to make sure that your business does not find itself in a sticky situation in the future.

What Is Microbial Identification?

This is the method that replaces API testing. Labs are able to identify and characterize microorganisms in order to manage food quality and safety. Microbial identification includes finding problems like food spoilage.

If there is a contaminant in the food with microbial identification you can figure out where that contaminant came from. Organisms take up a large range of habitats. Using a reputable laboratory such as MIDI Labs will help choose the best methods to solve any microbe problems.

Identification of Microorganisms

With this type of identification, a lab expert will provide the name of the organism. They will also determine if the issue is a spoilage concern or a safety concern. Something else that they can pinpoint is if the microorganisms are likely to be heat resistant.

Characterization

Characterization entails grouping together the organisms that share similar DNA profiles or patterns. These groups then help with tracing contamination or with tracking contamination.

Techniques Used

One of the techniques that some companies use is DNA sequencing. This helps identify yeasts, bacteria, and molds. Another technique used to identify microbes is with a riboprinter analysis. Riboprinter analysis is specifically used for bacterial characterization and bacterial identification.

Main Uses for Microbial Identification

There are a few other industries besides the food industry that use microbial identification for accuracy. One of these industries is the healthcare world. Microbial identification gives fast identification of bacteria, parasites, and fungi. This is used to find appropriate treatments and diagnosis when these microbes are present.

Another industry that microbial identification is used is in the pharmaceutical world. Microbes are a threat to sterility which means that they need accurate identification of environmental microbes. This identification is a very good manufacturing practice for the pharmaceutical industry to adapt.

Epidomelogy is another field that uses microbial identification in order to track and also trace diseases that spread along with outbreaks. They are able to identify isolates such as antibiotic resistant to help reduce outbreaks and diseases from spreading in the future.

Feeling Like a Microbial Identification Pro?

We hope that now that you know all about microbial identification you can make informed decisions when testing your place of business for bacteria and microorganisms when food is involved. It is always a good idea to be in compliance and to make sure that no one is getting sick because of a simple overlook.

Did our article help you out today? Please browse around the rest of this section for more informative reads.