Applied Laboratory Methods Professional Development Group

Webinars

• Matrix Additions Part 2: Alternative Approaches for Rapid Pathogen Detection Methods Nov 17, 2023

  Organized by: Applied Laboratory Methods PDG

  The food safety industry recognizes the increasing need for the most prudent, scientifically, and economically sound approaches to method validation and verification for pathogen methods. The scope of certified methods available from test kit providers for significant pathogens is limited to the matrices included in the validation study. With tens of thousands of food products on the market, third-party validations of all matrices at all test portion sizes is not cost-efficient or feasible. Matrix studies can extend the use of a method to a food not included in the original validation and be used to ensure that a method is fit-for-purpose for the end-user. Part 2 of this webinar series will dive deeper into the complexities of matrix evaluation and method performance. Examples of food-similarity grouping and the application of a risk-based questionnaire will be presented to help end-users determine an appropriate level of evaluation for their method of choice.

  Learning Objectives:
  1. Decipher the critical parameters of rapid pathogen detection method and the intrinsic properties of food matrices that may affect method performance.
  2. Learn the proposed levels of matrix evaluation as they relate to matrix risk assessment.
  3. Outline considerations for strain selection and sample spiking procedures for matrix evaluation.
  Understand how to use the Applied Laboratory Methods PDG's Matrix Risk Assessment Tool and interpret the outcome.

  Download Slides

  Presenters

  • Amanda Brookhouser-Sisney, Presenter Midwest Laboratories
  • Nisha Corrigan, Presenter Hygiena
  • Jaya Sundaram, Moderator WTI, Inc
• Diversify Your Food Safety and Quality Data: Where Are My Results and What Are They Telling Me? Nov 15, 2023

  Organized by: Applied Laboratory Methods PDG, Data Management & Analytics PDG, and Hygiena

  In today's food industry, data collection is widespread, but often, this data remains in raw forms like numbers and symbols due to departmental silos and profitability concerns. Companies struggle to create a comprehensive narrative about product safety and quality despite investing time and effort in sample collection and lab tests. Modern tools leverage internet connectivity and advanced algorithms to unlock the true potential of this data, revolutionizing the food industry. However, challenges lie in effectively implementing these technologies. This session aims to encourage the sharing of industry practices related to environmental monitoring, indicator testing, pathogen detection, and quality analysis. By uniting these facets, collaborative problem-solving can address issues without inadvertently creating new ones.

  Learning Objectives:

  •Data Digitization for Holistic Food Safety and Quality Management
  •Maximizing Your Testing Budget for Actionable Data-Driven Decision-Making
  •Utilization of Indicators and Pathogens to Manage from Live Production, Process Control and Final Product

  Download Slides

  Presenters

  • Mindy Brashears, Presenter Director of ICFIE at Texas Tech University
  • Karen Beers, Presenter Pilgrim's, Director – Lab Services
  • Matt Hahs, Moderator Hygiena, Sr Global Product Manager
• Matrix Additions to Rapid Pathogen Detection Methods- Part 1: Assuring the Right Fit May 31, 2023

  The food safety industry is rapidly evolving to address the new regulatory requirements set forth by the Food Safety Modernization Act. End-users, such as food manufacturers and third-party laboratories, must ensure that analytical methods, designed to detect hazards, are fit-for-purpose for their specific commodities. Most commonly used pathogen detection methods have undergone rigorous validation through third-party certification bodies such as AOAC, AFNOR, MicroVal, and others. This creates a list of officially validated matrices limited to the foods and method parameters outlined in the study. This often falls far short of what is seen routinely during end-user testing. Matrix evaluation studies are used to extend the method scope to a new matrix or test portion size. Here, we provide guidance on alternate evaluation approaches using a food-similarity grouping and a risk-based questionnaire to help end-users determine an appropriate level of evaluation for their method of choice.

  Learning Objectives

  1. Understand the gap(s) in the scope of validation for rapid pathogen detection methods.
  2. Learn how to perform a risk assessment for method performance.
  3. Learn how to group food matrices based on intrinsic properties.
  4. Learn how to select an enrichment condition for a matrix evaluation study.

  Download Slides

  Presenters

  • Gabriela Lopez Velasco, Speaker Neogen Food Safety
  • Patrick Bird, Speaker bioMerieux
  • Takiyah Ball, Moderator Sargento
• Is it a Listeria sensu stricto or sensu lato species? Why understanding the difference is important May 8, 2023

  Organized by: The Applied Laboratory Methods PDG and Merieux NutriSciences

  The Listeria genus has rapidly expanded since 2009 from six to 28 species. Comparative characterization of Listeria clearly indicated the existence of two distinct groups that are now formally known as the Listeria (i) sensu stricto, and (ii) sensu lato. The Listeria sensu stricto consists of L. monocytogenes (LM) and the species that indicate a potential for LM contamination; this group now contains 10 species. The Listeria sensu lato, which initially only included L. grayi, has now grown to 18 species. Arguably, all of the Listeria sensu lato species are divergent enough from the Listeria sensu stricto to warrant reclassification as separate genera. Therefore, when a Listeria spp. detection method is reported to “not detect all species”, it is important to evaluate if it is a sensu stricto or a sensu lato that is not detected as this distinction has different implications for food safety.

  Learning Objectives:
  -Review why genomics data supports a re-organization of Listeria and that only the Listeria sensu stricto species should be classified as a Listeria
  -Clarify the expectations for detecting all Listeria spp. using the currently available rapid detection and identification methods.
  -Understand the FDA's perspective on detecting the new Listeria species

  Download Slides

  Presenters

  • Martin Wiedmann, Presenter Cornell University
  • Yi Chen, Presenter Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
  • Catharine Carlin, Presenter Merieux NutriSciences
  • Sarita Raengpradub, Moderator Merieux NutriSciences
• Why Quantification? The Road to Revolutionizing Food Safety Dec 8, 2021

  When speed-to-market is critical and safety cannot be compromised, how can food safety professionals help their poultry companies be more profitable? A rapid Salmonella quantitative test method is a game-changer to provide detailed insight to all stages of poultry production. The ability to respond immediately to CCP failures throughout your plant, or better yet, to prevent them altogether, can keep lines running and products moving out the door. Emerging technologies can help get your products to market quicker, to provide consumers with safe and wholesome products. Join this webinar to learn about the current and future state of regulatory standards and a case study of a true flock to final product application of Salmonella quantification.

  Download Slides

  Presenters

  • Mindy Brashears, Presenter Texas Tech University, United States
  • April Englishbey, Presenter Hygiena, United States
  • Julia Poroshkova, Moderator Hygiena, United States
• What's Next Regarding Validation and Verification: Overview of ISO 16140 Series Oct 31, 2018

  Sponsored by: Bruker Daltonics and Q Laboratories

  Organized by: Methods Validation & Verification Interest Group within the Applied Laboratory Methods PDG

  Description: The ISO 16140 series of standards comprise in total 6 different parts. These standards form a network of validation/verification procedures that offer a complete package for different validation needs.

  ISO 16140 consists of the following parts, under the general title Microbiology of the food chain —
  Method validation:
  — Part 1: Vocabulary
  — Part 2: Protocol for the validation of alternative (proprietary) methods against a reference method
  The following parts are under preparation:
  — Part 3: Protocol for the verification of reference and validated alternative methods implemented in a single laboratory
  — Part 4: Protocol for single-laboratory (in-house) method validation
  — Part 5: Protocol for factorial interlaboratory validation of non-proprietary methods
  — Part 6: Protocol for the validation of alternative (proprietary) methods for microbiological confirmation and typing.

  The links between the different parts are discussed as well as two of almost finalized standards on method verification and validation of confirmation methods and their impact on laboratories.

  Download Slides

  Questions and Answers

  Presenters

  • DeAnn Benesh, Presenter 3M Food Safety, USA
  • Paul in't Veld, Presenter Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, Netherlands
  • Daniele Sohier, Presenter Bruker Daltonics, Germany
  • Stephanie Pollard, Moderator Clear Labs
• Outcomes and Future Work of the AOAC ISPAM Harmonization Project Oct 26, 2018

  Sponsored by: AOAC INTERNATIONAL and Microbiologics

  Organized by: Methods Validation & Verification Interest Group within the Applied Laboratory Methods PDG

  Description: AOAC INTERNATIONAL formed the International Stakeholder Panel on Alternative Methods (ISPAM) to develop harmonized, internationally accepted standard validation guidelines for alternative (rapid) chemical and microbiological methods by leveraging global networks of experts to reach consensus on an analytical validation protocol. The goal is to achieve optimal efficiency and avoid duplication of efforts in order to meet regulatory and product safety testing requirements. ISPAM as a whole is made up of 60+ member stakeholders comprised of a vetted balanced group and representative stakeholders from industry, government, academia and international organizations, demonstrate stakeholder consensus to approve or not the recommendations of the working groups.

  The global marketplace has put significant pressure on Method Developers to validate their new technologies via several different certification organizations, all of which have their own unique components to consider in a study design, there continues to be a wealth of support across the industry to harmonize across several reference methods, validation guidelines and procedures.

  This session will present the evolution of Harmonized validation guidelines through the ISPAM initiatives, where we are currently aligned and where we need to go from here. Perspectives on what potential activities can be achieved through ISPAM collaborations through global interlaboratory studies and verifications for a more globally representative set of food commodities will also be discussed.

  Download Slides

  Presenters

  • DeAnn L. Benesh, Presenter Global Regulatory Affairs Manager, 3M Food Safety
  • Erin Crowley, Presenter Chief Scientific Officer, Q Laboratories
  • Stephanie Pollard, Moderator Clear Labs
• Are You Fit Enough: What Does "Fit for Purpose" Mean to Me? Sep 25, 2018

  Sponsored by: Eurofins Food Integrity and Innovation (formerly Covance Food Solutions)

  Organized by: The Methods Validation & Verification Interest sub-group of IAFP's Applied Laboratory Methods Professional Development Group (PDG)

  "Fit for purpose" is defined by ISO as the "degree to which data produced by a measurement process enables a user to make technically and administratively correct decisions for a stated purpose". Deciding whether a method is "fit for purpose" for your particular use can be tricky. In this webinar, we will explore what "fit for purpose" means in the real world from three different perspectives: product development, end user, and third-party testing lab.

  Download Slides

  Presenters

  • Evan Henke, Presenter 3M
  • Larry Cohen, Presenter TreeHouse Foods
  • David Legan, Presenter Eurofins Food Integrity & Innovation
  • Megan Brown, Moderator Eurofins Food Integrity & Innovation
  • Stephanie Pollard, Moderator Clear Labs
• Overview and Comparison of Global Method Validation Schemes Jun 29, 2018

  Sponsored by Q Laboratories, Inc. and Clear Labs

  Organized by the IAFP Applied Laboratory Methods Professional Development Group

  The development of novel food safety testing methods is a global effort, and as such those methods must conform to a globally diverse set of standards. Choosing a standard is a function of target geographical markets, opportunity, and market demands. This webinar is the 3rd of the webinar series on method validation and verification and will provide an overview of the major global method validation schemes, how they are conducted, if/where they’re harmonizable, and what method developers can do to be ready for them.

  Download Slides

  Presenters

  • Patrick M. Bird, Presenter Q Laboratories, Inc.
  • Christopher Haney, Presenter Clear Labs
  • Stephanie Pollard, Moderator Clear Labs
  • Omar Oyarzabal, Moderator University of Vermont
• What are the “Standard Methods” and What Makes Them So Special? May 11, 2018

  Sponsored by the University of Vermont and the Applied Laboratory Methods PDG

  This 60-minute FREE webinar will review the process for the development and revisions of standards by the Food and Drug Administration (Bacteriological Analytical Manual) of the USA and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Comité Européen de Normalisation.

  More than 70 International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Comité Européen de Normalisation (CEN) standard methods for specific food organisms have been published. This webinar will review the process for the development and revisions of standards by the ISO and CEN. In the United States, unlike the EU where ISO/CEN methods serve as standard reference methods, the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) serves as the repository of standard reference methods for the microbiological analysis of all foods other than meat and egg products. This presentation will include a brief history of the BAM, an overview of the methods that it contains, and a description of how methods get into the BAM.

  Paul in’t Veld is working as a food microbiologist for the competent authority in the Netherlands. Active in the standardization of methods at ISO (worldwide) and CEN (European) level. He is the Chair of ISO WG3 on method validation standards (ISO 16140 series).

  Thomas Hammack is a Supervisory Research Microbiologist at FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Chair of FDA’s Microbiology Methods Validation Subcommittee, past Chair of FDA’s Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) Council, and a current member of BAM Council. He is active in ISO and AOAC International.

  Download Slides

  Presenters

  • Thomas Hammack Food and Drug Administration, USA
  • Paul in’t Veld Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority
  • Omar Oyarzabal, Moderator University of Vermont
• Validation, Verification or Just Semantics? Mar 28, 2018

  Sponsored by the University of Vermont and the IAFP Applied Laboratory Methods Professional Development Group.
  
  Method validation and method verification are two distinct procedures required to comply with ISO/IEC Standard 17025 for a microbiology laboratory accreditation. Unfortunately, the two terms are often used interchangeably with serious consequences. This webinar will not only address the semantics but will also discuss the appropriate analytical and statistical approaches to achieving successful validation and verification studies.

  Presenters

  • Michael Brodsky Consultant
  • DeAnn Benesh 3M Food Safety Department
  • Stephanie Pollard Clear Labs
• Applied Laboratory Methods PDG Presents: Complexity of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli Strains in Flour – Implications on Testing Procedures Mar 21, 2017

  Slides:

  FDA’s Revised Draft Guidance for Control of Listeria monocytogenes in Ready-To-Eat Foods
  
  Control of Listeria  monocytogenes in Ready-to-Eat Foods: Draft Guidance

  Presenters

  • Peter Feng FDA CFSAN
  • Karen Jinneman FDA PRL-NW
  • June Wetherington FDA PRL-NW
• Infrared Spectroscopy and Imaging for the Classification of Whole Bacteria Cells and Detection of DNA Microarrays Dec 1, 2010

  Organized by the Applied Laboratory Methods PDG

  Presenters

  • Magdi M. Mossoba
• Detection of Food Allergens: Current Analytical Methods and Future Needs Oct 13, 2010

  Organized by the Applied Laboratory Methods PDG

  Presenters

  • Lauren Jackson
• Campylobacter spp. in Foods and Their Implications for Public Health Jul 21, 2010

  Organized by the Applied Laboratory Methods PDG

  Presenters

  • Omar A. Oyarzabal
• Clostridium Perfringens Mar 30, 2010

  Organized by the Applied Laboratory Methods PDG.

  Presenters

  • Dr. Keith Schneider Professor, University of Florida
  • Dr. Vijay Juneja Lead Scientist, USDA-ARS-ERRC
• Use of Predictive Microbiology Information Portal, the USDA-Pathogen Modeling Program and ComBase Dec 4, 2009

  Organized by the Applied Laboratory Methods PDG.

  Presenters

  • Dr. Vijay Juneja USDA-ARS-ERRC