The Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the health agency of the United States. The Department of Agriculture is responsible for ensuring that meat, poultry and egg products sold in commerce are safe. The USDA's FSIS facility in Alameda, California, inspects meat, poultry and eggs that come from factories across the country. It regulates foods such as ham, hot dogs and all types of cooked convenience foods. These products are tested for the major human pathogens Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria and E. coli O157:H7. The USDA-FSIS at the Western Laboratory in Alameda has been using Systec Mediaprep automated media preparators for all of its media sample needs since 2004.
Microbiology International, Systec GmbH's U.S. partner, recently sat down with Brooks Wong, supervisor of the microbiology department at the USDA FSIS laboratory in Alameda, to discuss the use of the Systec Mediaprep and Systec Mediafill systems in an interview.
Microbiology Internation (MI): How does the mircobiology lab utilize these two devices to perform daily work at USDA-FSIS?
Brooks Wong - USDA (BW): We use different types of media in our operations, so having different equipment on hand to make different media at the same time is of utmost importance. For example, we use large quantities of BPW and TSB broth.
MI: You mentioned BPW and TSB. Can you also tell me what kind of liquid media you produce, what quantities are involved and why they are such large quantities?
BW: The main media we produce in large quantities are BPW and TSB. We make 100 liters at a time, so we use the Systec Mediaprep-120; we make about 500 liters per week. Our sample is a 1:10 solution. A typical sample that we receive from the factory and break down weighs 350g, so for a 1:10 solution that's 3l. We need a lot! And we process around 37,000 samples every year. So you can imagine how much of the media we use here at the Western Laboratory.
MI: What positive influence does using the Systec Mediafill for filling Petri dishes have on your daily processes?
BW: Again, it contributes to our flexibility. We can immediately produce different types of media for Petri dishes instead of first having to order them from an external supplier, which can take quite a while. This makes us very flexible in terms of time. Instead of waiting for an order of DLMA dishes, for example, we can go ahead and simply use the smaller Systec Mediaprep-10 and the Systec Mediafill to fill Petri dishes. Our product is then available to us within 3 to 4 hours and can be used.
MI: Why did you choose Systec Mediaprep and Systec Mediafill over the competitors' devices?
BW: Because it is a very economical system that enables us to sterilize a large quantity of media. The system works very well in this respect. It is easy to operate and very reliable.
MI: What is your overall impression of the support and service?
BW: We have a service contract with Microbiology International. If a problem arises, we simply call them. A service employee from Microbiology International then comes to us promptly. He assesses the problem and asks our observations to determine what exactly is wrong. He knows the devices inside out. To get us back on track quickly, he recommends solutions, orders parts and repairs the devices.
MI: Would you order additional devices if the need arose, and would you recommend these devices to other facilities?
BW: We currently use a Systec Mediaprep-10, two Systec Mediaprep-120s and a Systec Mediafill. We have already ordered and received an additional Systec Mediaprep-120, which we will use in our new facility. So we have a total of three Systec Mediaprep-120s ready to go, and I would definitely recommend them to other facilities. We are one of three USDA FSIS labs and I always recommend these systems to the other two labs. They each already use a Systec Mediaprep-120.
Systec Mediaprep
Automatic media sterilization on a small and large scale. Seven models available, from 10-120l sizes. The Systec Mediaprep can sterilize agar and cool media in less than 90 minutes.
Systec Mediafill
The Systec Mediafill system for the automatic filling of culture media in Petri dishes and test tubes. The device is easy and intuitive to operate via the 5.7" touch display. Thanks to the integrated database for pre-programmed Petri dish dimensions, Petri dishes can be selected at the touch of a button. Filling and stacking is also fully automatic and requires no operator intervention. Integrated peristaltic pumps ensure the precise filling of media and the addition of additives. The Systec Mediafill can fill standard trays from 90 mm and 60 mm up to 26 mm deep. With a processing speed of up to 900 Petri dishes per hour, the Systec Mediafill saves valuable time with reliable efficiency. Three different carousel sizes are available: for up to 220, 440 and 660 Petri dishes.