Microbiological Detection Methods — Assuring the Right Fit

The food safety industry is in the midst of rapid evolution. Leaders and scientists alike are approaching new regulatory requirements set forth by the Food Safety Modernization Act to ensure analytical methods, designed to detect hazards, are fit-for-purpose for their specific commodities. Simultaneously, the food industry is innovating at a tremendous rate. Unique ingredients and formulations are being developed, novel processing methods are being deployed, and new products are entering the market. The food safety community is scrutinizing analytical approaches to ensure that new and existing methods are appropriate for the bevy of products being tested. In addition, the industry is working to understand and agree upon the most prudent scientifically and economically sound approaches to method validation and verification. In this introductory article, the International Association for Food Protection Applied Laboratory Methods Professional Development Group discusses the needs and considerations for assessing fit-for-purpose approaches in the food analytical laboratory.