3M Food Safety announced today the availability of software enhancements
to its 3M™ Petrifilm™ Plate Reader, a popular peripheral device that
serves as an automated alternative to the more time-consuming task of
manually counting and documenting colonies of bacteria on 3M™ Petrifilm™
Plates indicator tests. The new 3M Petrifilm Plate Reader software
version 4.0 now automates the imaging, interpretation and data mapping
of the 3M™ Petrifilm™ Rapid Aerobic Count Plate, which debuted last year
as a novel 24-hour test. In addition, this release also makes
functionality for the 3M™ Petrifilm™ Enterobacteriaceae Count
Plate and 3M™ Petrifilm™ Select E. coli Count Plate globally
available.
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3M™ Petrifilm™ Plate Reader (Photo: Business Wire)
The software upgrades are part of 3M’s continued effort to increase
efficiency and reduce costs within food safety labs globally, as well
as, improve the documentation and traceability of their indicator
testing results. Traceability has drawn increasing attention in
legislative and regulatory discussions around the world due to the
globalization of the food supply chain and its critical role in
protecting public health. Multiple laws – including the U.S. Food Safety
Modernization Act – either focus on or contain elements specifically
addressing the issue.
Results in Four Seconds Flat
After individual 3M Petrifilm
Plates are inoculated and incubated, they can be easily loaded into the
3M Petrifilm Plate Reader where they are electronically read and
interpreted in about four seconds. Thoroughly tested across a broad
range of food types, 3M’s software-enabled technology facilitates
compliance by documenting test data as well as storing individual plate
images on file. The 3M Petrifilm Plate Reader also automates logging of
128 symbology bar code labels, and allows details related to the
technician, food type, food lot and dilution schemes to be
electronically stored rather than transcribed by hand. Data can also be
easily exported to laboratory information management systems
and other reporting tools.
“Variability in colony counts is driven by any number of factors, not
limited to, lab technician interpretation differences, missed counts,
differing levels of experience, multi-tasking and even time of day and
fatigue.” said Jason Semerad, 3M Food Safety global marketing manager.
“3M Petrifilm Plate Reader automation eliminates that variability, as
well as, transcription errors, while improving overall lab productivity
and audit-readiness. Food processors will also appreciate knowing the
technology has been expanded to encompass more tests.”
With this newly added functionality, now six of 3M’s eighteen available
3M Petrifilm Plates can be automatically interpreted by the 3M Petrifilm
Plate Reader to improve lab efficiency. To receive 3M Petrifilm Plate
Reader software version 4.0, or to learn more about the 3M Petrifilm
Rapid Aerobic Count Plate and other products, contact your local 3M Food
Safety sales representative or call (800) 328-6553 or visit http://3m.com/foodsafety/PetrifilmPPR.
3M Food Safety is a leader of innovative solutions that helps the food
and beverage industries optimize the quality and safety of their
products to enable consumer protection. It provides solutions that
mitigate risk, improve operational efficiencies and benefit the bottom
line.
About 3M
At 3M, we apply science in collaborative ways to
improve lives daily. With $30 billion in sales, our 90,000 employees
connect with customers all around the world. Learn more about 3M’s
creative solutions to the world’s problems at www.3M.com
on Twitter at @3M or @3mNewsroom.
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