Yeasts and molds are widely distributed in the environment and can enter foods through raw materials, inadequately disinfected equipment or airborne contaminants. The production of mycotoxins in foodstuffs poses a potential threat to public health, and some 5 to 10 percent of all losses in global food production are caused by yeasts and molds. Using quality control to regularly monitor the presence and quantity of yeasts and molds in dairy products and other foods is therefore crucially important. With this vital task in mind, BIOTECON Diagnostics is at LABVOLUTION 2017 with the foodproof Yeast and Mold Quantification LyoKit – a unique test for rapidly detecting yeasts and molds in all dairy products.

The new kit provides a quick test that can quantify yeasts and molds within just five hours, and the PCR results correlate well with results from more time-consuming, conventional microbiological methods. The user-friendly test is based on real-time PCR technology and has been developed together with a DNA extraction kit specifically adapted to yeasts and molds - the foodproof StarPrep Two Kit. With the help of foodproof Reagent D, another innovative product from BIOTECON Diagnostics, the DNA of dead cells is excluded from the detection process so that only living organisms are detected and quantified. The new system has been successfully validated with a wide range of dairy products, including different types of cheese, milk and milk powder, yoghurts, curd, pudding, fermented milk products, whey and many others. As a result, the kit on show at LABVOLUTION 2017 is suitable for all kinds of end products and raw materials used in the dairy industry.