Supervised From Farm to Fork

According to estimates by the World Health Organisation (WHO), approximately 10% of the population in the industrialised nations become ill each year due to contaminated food. Scrupulous quality controls are not only an increasingly challenging task for health authorities, they also help to prevent scandals in the food industry, and are the best way to regain consumer confidence.

Particular emphasis is placed on the identification of pathogens in foods throughout all stages of food processing, from raw materials to consumers, also known by the slogan ‘From farm to fork’.

In order to ensure quality throughout all stages of the production process, Peka Kroef has its own microbiological laboratory, where comprehensive testing is performed around the clock. An initial inspection is performed when the raw materials are delivered. Hygiene checks are performed regularly on all surfaces that come into contact with the products, the air-conditioning systems in production facilities are tested for the presence of airborne bacteria, and wastewater checks are also part of hygiene monitoring.

The microbiological tests at Peka Kroef are performed using leading technology equipment, such as incubators and heating chambers, supplied by the Binder. Here, the most important requirement for equipment is maximum temperature homogeneity in the test equipment interior. The Binder equipment with its patented technology guarantees homogenous air distribution and temperature stability even when the door is opened for the addition of new test samples. Any temperature fluctuations resulting from the intrinsic temperature of the samples and airflow from outside are balanced very rapidly.

In continuous operation, the incubators maintain a constant temperature of between 22°C and 55°C for specific applications. The incubators are used for a wide variety of applications such as warm storage of nutrient media, sample incubation, drying of food samples, or determining the presence of microorganisms with Durham test tubes. The various jobs are aligned in accordance with the programming of production processes. In this manner, any potential deviations, such as variations in raw material composition, can be detected and remedied with appropriate measures. As an additional safety measure, the Binder test chambers are regularly checked and recalibrated.