Isotachophoretic quantification of total viable bacteria on meat and surfaces.

Background: The quantification of microbes, particularly live bacteria, is of utmost importance in assessing the quality of meat products. In the context of meat processing facilities, prompt identification and removal of contaminated carcasses or surfaces is crucial to ensuring the continuous production of safe meat for human consumption. The plate count method and other traditional detection methods are not only labour-intensive but also time-consuming taking 24-48 h.

Performance evaluation of commercially available swabs for environmental monitoring: Uptake and release efficiency.

Safety and the quality of products rely on proper cleanliness procedures and good manufacturing practices in the production environment. The use of swabs for the collection of samples from surfaces has been a common practice in industries, medicine and forensic studies. To accommodate these different purposes, many varieties of swabs have been introduced into the market, and it is important to assess the performance of these swabs before incorporating into an environmental monitoring procedure.