Fully Automated Tester measures bacterial aerobic plate count.

Press Release Summary:




Targeting companies and laboratories dealing with food, GreenLight(TM) 930 provides aerobic plate count (APC) or total viable count (TVC) of food sample's microbial load using sensing assay or vial. Results, depending on bacterial load, can be obtained between minutes and 8 hr, and process is automated via 48-position carousel inserted into main unit. System feeds bacterial information to PC via dedicated software; pass/fail and multipoint modes are also available.



Original Press Release:



Mocon Launches Greenlight(TM) 930 First Fully-Automated Bacterial APC Testing System



Minneapolis, MN - MOCON, Inc. (NASDAQ: MOCO) is introducing the first fully-automated testing system for measuring bacterial aerobic plate count (APC). The company's new GreenLight(TM) 930 targets meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, produce, etc., companies and laboratories with high-throughput requirements.

The GreenLight(TM) series was developed to provide precise, same-day results in a cost-effective manner. Depending on the bacterial load, results can be obtained between minutes and eight hours. This is more than six times faster than the traditional agar or film plate methods, which typically require 48 hours to achieve a meaningful microbial count. Shorter testing cycles provide packers and processors with the potential of getting their perishable food items to the consumer in less time.

MOCON's GreenLight(TM) series provides an APC or total viable count (TVC) of a food sample's microbial load by using a sensing assay or vial. As bacteria in the test sample multiply and respire, they consume oxygen. The change in oxygen is used to calculate the original sample's colony forming units per gram (CFU/g) for solids or per milliliter for liquids.

With the introduction of the GreenLight(TM) 930, a fully automated option is now a reality. The new model automates the process via a 48-position carousel which is inserted into the unit. Food samples are loaded into bar coded APCheck(TM) vials, which have sensor material built-in. (The vials can be batch loaded onto the carousel, or individually loaded at any time during the unit's "continuous" mode.) The GreenLight(TM) 930 reads each bar code automatically and feeds the bacterial information to the PC via dedicated software. Pass/fail and multipoint modes are also available.

"In addition to the unit's precision and ease-of-use, high-throughput processors will benefit from both labor and time savings. Once the vials have been loaded, you can literally walk away from the GreenLight(TM) instrument and it will complete the testing on its own. Individual vial results can easily be read on the monitor. We believe that this new system will have a significant impact on how food companies approach bacterial testing," said Alan Traylor, business manager, food safety products, MOCON.

The GreenLight(TM) series is pending qualification by AOAC International, Gaithersburg, MD, which provides validation and conformity assessment of commercial and analytical methods.

The new unit follows the successful introduction of the GreenLight(TM) 910, which was launched in April for smaller throughput users.

The development of this new, leading-edge technology has been made possible via MOCON's investment in Luxcel Biosciences Limited, Cork, Ireland, which was announced last year.

About MOCON
MOCON is a leading provider of instrumentation and consulting and laboratory services to medical, pharmaceutical, food and other industries worldwide. See www.mocon.com for more information.

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