Microbiology Testing Laboratory

Main activities:

- performing microbiological testing of food products and feeds of animal and plant origin for quality and safety in accordance with regulatory documents;

- conducting laboratory testing of swabs from hands and equipment for compliance with health requirements;

- conducting screening tests of food products and feeds for detection of antimicrobial drugs, mycotoxins and hormones by ELISA;

- performing testing of food products and feeds for presence of GMO by qPCR, identification of GMO lines, determination of GMO quantitative composition;

- providing identification of species-specific DNA (cattle, small ruminants, pigs, poultry) in the composition of feeds, raw materials and food products;

- testing of food products, feeds and potable water for radioactive safety;

- participation in seminars, workshops, trainings, professional courses for veterinary specialists in the sphere of food microbiology.

Tested products:

1. Meat and meat products, poultry and products thereof.

2. Eggs and products thereof.

3. Milk and milk products.

4. Oily raw materials and oil products.

5. Fish, non-finfish and products thereof.

6. Grain (seeds), flour and cereal products and bakery products.

7. Sugar and confectionery products.

8. Fruit and vegetable products.

9. Drinks.

10. Canned food products.

11. Apiary products.

12. Canned and preserved fish and non-finfish.

13. Potable water.

14. Water from decentralized public water supply sources.

15. Natural water from surface water reservoirs.

16. Feeds of animal origin.

17. Feeds of plant origin.

The Microbiology Testing Laboratory has a license for handling microorganisms in pathogenic groups 3 and 4. In accordance with regulatory documents the tests are conducted for the following criteria:

1. Quantity of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms (QMAFAnM)

2. Coliform bacteria

3. Enteropathogenic types of E. coli

4. E. coli

5. Salmonella

6. Listeria monocitogenes

7. Staphylococcus. aureus

8. B. cereus

9. Genus Proteus bacteria

10. Yeast and mold fungi

11. Vibrio parahaemolyticus

12.Pseudomonas aeruginosa

13. Sulphite-reducing clostridia

14. Bifidus bacteria

15. Enterococci

16. Lactic acid bacteria

17. Enterobacteriaceae bacteria

18. Industrial sterility

19. Toxin-forming anaerobic bacteria

Specialists of the microbiology testing laboratory handle high-quality culture media (MERCK, OXOID) including chromogenic media, that allows to quickly detect and identify this or that microorganism. Besides, the laboratory is equipped with the miniVIDAS analyzer that helps to reduce the time of Salmonella and Listeria tests.

For the purpose of bacteria identification the department is equipped with the “Vitek” biochemical analyzer and “MALDI-TOF” mass-spectrometer.

The laboratory personnel regularly undergo professional training both in Russia and abroad.

The microbiology laboratory specialists have for several years successfully participated in laboratory proficiency testing for the following parameters: coliforms, sulphite-reducing clostridia, S. aureus, Salmonella, L. monocytogenes, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, QMAFAnM, yeast and mold fungi. In 2017 they successfully passed two rounds of the international proficiency testing programme held by FAPAS.

ELISA Tests

• Antimicrobial drugs

1. Chloramphenicol (levomycetin)

2. Tetracyclines

3. Bacitracin

4. Sulfanilamides

5. Quinolones

6. Nitrofurans (AOZ, AMOZ)

• Hormones

1. Ractopamine

2. Clenbuterol

3. Zeranol

4. 19-nortestosterone

5. Diethylstilbestrol

6. Ttrenbolone

• Mycotoxins

1. Aflotoxin B1, M1

2. Zearalenone (ZON)

3. Desoxynivalenol (DON)

4. Ochratoxin

5. T-2-toxin

6. Fumonisin

• Histamine

Radiological Tests

• Cesium-137
• Strontium-90