ICON | A database written into “DNA“ allows unlimited possibilities for colony counting.

With the continuous development of the economy and the improvement of people's living standards, food safety has become the most concerned issue for people. Whether food is safe directly affects our life safety. Food spoilage and microbial toxins caused by microorganisms(Pathogenic bacteria and parasites)And the prevalence of infectious diseases(hepatitis virus)Foodborne diseases caused by food are the top food safety issue in China.
In China's food hygiene management, microbial indicators are divided into total bacterial count(Total Bacterial Count)Escherichia coli, mold, yeast, and pathogenic bacteria. They cause foodborne diseases, which can manifest as mild discomfort, chronic illness, and even life-threatening situations. Pathogenic bacteria are the killers of food safety, and are defined as "not detectable" in China's food hygiene standards.

The determination of total bacterial count is an important indicator for food hygiene inspection. Colony count determination is used to determine the degree of bacterial contamination and hygiene quality of food. It reflects whether the food meets hygiene requirements during the production process, in order to make appropriate hygiene evaluations of the tested samples. The total number of bacterial colonies to some extent indicates the quality of food hygiene.

The common hygiene indicator bacteria in food are generally divided into three types:

The first type of indicator bacteria is used to evaluate the general hygiene quality, contamination level, and safety of the tested sample, with the most commonly used being the total number of colonies, mold, and yeast.

The second type specifically refers to indicator bacteria for fecal contamination, mainly including Escherichia coli and coliforms, as well as other bacteria such as Enterococcus and sulfite reducing Clostridium. Their detection indicates contamination of the test samples by human and animal feces, and the possibility of the presence of intestinal pathogenic microorganisms.

The third type is other indicator bacteria, including certain bacteria that cannot be detected in specific environments (such as specific bacteria, certain pathogenic bacteria, or other indicator microorganisms), which have different indicator meanings in different samples.

ICONThe automatic colony counter is specially customized for microbiology laboratory users with a dedicated colony morphology libraryICONAt its core, it integrates a database of various colony attributes, allowing it to automatically compare with the colony morphology in the library when encountering difficult to identify colonies. This enables it to easily handle a large number of complex colonies, with a higher degree of automation. Moreover, the counting is accurate and reliable, the analysis results are verifiable, and the sample information can be retained, saving a lot of manpower and time, making colony counting simpler and more efficient.