BELL LABORATORIES
Bell Laboratories’ PROVOKE Professional Mouse Attractant now is available in a nine-pack box. The new, re-sealable pack lets QA professionals purchase case quantities of the attractant without having to buy a box of 24 bottles.
Developed by Bell scientists, PROVOKE is the first and only hypoallergenic, non-toxic attractant developed specifically to the feeding preferences of mice, the company says. Because food-based PROVOKE contains no major food allergens, it can be used in food production plants and other facilities where bait or attractants such as peanut butter are prohibited.
PROVOKE gives QA professionals maximum mouse capture on any job, Bell says. A dollop of this gel applied to a snap trap or multiple-catch trap entices mice into the trap where they’re caught, often on the first approach.
THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC
Thermo Fisher Scientific announces the launch of the Thermo Scientific APEX 100 Metal Detector, bringing the latest technology in metal detection to a broader range of cost-conscious quality assurance managers. The new metal detector, which is the second model in the line of APEX products, offers basic metal detection capabilities in an easy-to-use system, the company says.
The Thermo Scientific APEX 100 ensures that all types of metals, including the most common stainless steel, are detected in food products before they are shipped, the company says. The model, made of stainless steel and ABS plastic, has no external boxes to mount or wire, and an icon-driven interface.
DUPONT QUALICON
DuPont Qualicon has released a new test for detecting Staphylococcus aureus in powdered infant formula and ground beef. This real-time PCR assay, developed in alliance with Applied Biosystems, is the latest addition to the BAX system line of genetic-based diagnostic solutions for the food industry.
S. aureus are common bacteria often found on human skin, in nasal passages and in the environment. Some strains of S. aureus produce toxins that can cause illness when ingested through contaminated food, such as cream-filled bakery products, sandwich fillings and meat and dairy products. Traditional testing methods for S. aureus in food require three to five days or more for cultural growth and manual enumeration. The BAX system provides automated detection with next-day results.
BIRD-X
BroadBand PRO targets pest birds with a combination of four different sound types: distress cries to indicate danger to pigeons, starlings, gulls and more; predator cries, like falcons and hawks, to add realism; general harassments for an all-bird defense; and ultrasonic waves to guard day and night. The machine’s development is based on 40 years of success with sonic repellers that featured one of the four types, but this is the first machine to combine them all, the company says, eliminating the need to use multiple machines while providing sound variety.
BroadBand PRO sounds move from speaker to speaker for a constant defense against birds. This method of attack forces birds to leave for good, and is harmless to the birds and the environment. Surround-sound directional speakers are separate from the control box to offer all-around flexibility.
The machine can be used on rooftops, parking lots, signs, towers and manufacturing facilities. Since these areas, which often feature high vantage points, are particularly attractive to birds, each BroadBand PRO unit includes three visual scares to frighten the birds in a multi-sensory assault. Each unit covers up to 10,000 square feet, and runs on 110-volt current.
NILFISK-ADVANCE AMERICA
Designed to meet the general plant-cleaning and maintenance needs of manufacturers throughout various industries, the GWD 255 is powered by two independent bypass motors, and can fit both 30- and 55-gallon drums. It allows users to recycle drums that are abundant in nearly every production plant. An optional float chamber and washable cartridge filter allows the GWD 255 to pick up both wet and dry materials, and the machine can also be fitted with an upstream HEPA filter for pick-up of hazardous materials, ensuring 99.97 percent of particles are retained, down to and including 0.3 microns in size, the company says.
Additional features of the GWD 255 Drum Vac include a fifty-foot yellow cord and washable main filter sack.
NELSON-JAMESON
PremiTest, manufactured by Holland-based DSM Nutritional Products, has received approval from the U.S. Association of Official Analytical Chemists for use with bovine meat. The PremiTest is sensitive to a wide range of common antibiotics.
The PremiTest is based on inhibition of growth of Bacillus stearothermophilius, a thermophilic bacterium sensitive to many antibiotics and sulpha compounds. When the PremiTest ampule is heated to 64 ° C, spores in the agar medium germinate. Bacteria from these spores multiply and produce acid, causing an indicator to change from purple to yellow. When antibacterial compounds are present above detection levels of the test, no growth will occur and the color remains purple.
SERVEON
SABI Mobile for Food Safety is a new, customizable hand-held data collection system. SABI — Serveon Advanced Business Intelligence — Mobile for Food Safety, developed by Wilmington Del.-based Serveon, is a GPS-enabled wireless data management tool that collects, stores and shares food safety-related data, whether in processing, shipping or other related locations. It gives organizations the ability to rapidly observe and measure customizable business data, the company says, and is sold on a subscription basis.
BIRD-B-GONE
Bird-B-Gone introduces Bird Spike 2007, which prevents birds from landing or roosting, and comes in 3-, 5- and 8-inch widths. It is virtually invisible when installed, the company says, and won’t cut or injure the installer. Bird-B-Gone says its products will not harm birds, and are recommended by major animal rights groups.
SMARTWAY
This insect trap is designed to capture fruit flies, Drosophilia, in commercial, residential and industrial locations such as restaurants, retail stores, fruit processing facilities, commercial kitchens, homes and other locations where fruit flies are a pest. The efficacy of this trap is enhanced by using a special food-grade natural attractant, the company says, and a special surfactant that breaks down surface tension to pull the flies into the liquid.
SWORD DIAGNOSTICS
Sword Diagnostics announces the commercial launch of the Saber Detection System, a rapid and highly sensitive pathogen detection platform for several critical food safety applications, the company says.
The technology provides food manufacturers with actionable results in hours, allowing them to quickly identify and take action against pathogenic contamination, and thereby reduce at-risk production in their facilities, Sword says.
Sword’s initial food safety assay is for environmental Listeria, which provides results in 16 hours at 1-5 CFU per sample. This means processors can have results by their next sanitation shift, and can take immediate and focused action against potential environmental problems, the company says.
The Saber Detection System incorporates Sword’s Biomolecular Resonance (BMR) technology in an automated, easy-to-use platform. BMR combines immunomagnetic separation and capture with the company’s proprietary chemistry for Raman spectroscopic detection.
LOCK INSPECTION SYSTEMS
Following a comprehensive testing and auditing process, the Vertical Fall metal detector from Lock Inspection Systems has been awarded ATEX approval. Lock is the first U.K.-based metal detection manufacturer to comply with the new Directive 94/9/EC on explosion protection, the company says.
The directive, adopted by the European Union, covers equipment which may be used in potentially explosive atmospheres created by the presence of dust or gases. Risk areas are defined as zones 22, minimal risk of explosions, and 21, occasional risk. Self-certification was awarded for zone 22 and a notified testing panel reviewed the detector over the course of eight weeks for zone 21 approval.
Potentially explosive conditions are common in many areas of the food industry, especially bakeries and snack production plants where airborne dust from materials such as flour, cocoa, rice and grains can create environments that could become explosive. The same can apply in the pharmaceutical industry where powders and granules could develop a similar environment.
CRC INDUSTRIES
CRC introduces Knock’er Loose PLUS Penetrating Solvent, an industrial-strength penetrant that drops the temperature of the area in contact with the spray. The freeze shock cracks rusted surfaces, which allows the solvent to penetrate faster, reach deeper and work more effectively than other penetrants, the company says.
Knock’er Loose PLUS quickly permeates rust, scale, gum, grease and corrosion with a low-surface-tension formula that creeps into cracks, seams, threads and joints with greater efficacy than the competition, the company says. It can ease the disassembly of plant machinery, tools and equipment for routine maintenance and emergency repairs. The solvent loosens rusted and corroded nuts, bolts, couplings, fittings, hinges and frozen components.
The solvent is NSF H2 registered for use in meat and poultry plants. It is VOC compliant and contains no ozone-depleting chemicals, the company says.
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