Free Technical Webinar 

Are you doing enough to safeguard your food products from hidden hazards and contamination risks? Ensuring food safety demands a strong, integrated approach that incorporates both effective HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) and sanitation control programs. HACCP focuses on systematically identifying, assessing, and managing potential hazards throughout food production, while sanitation programs uphold hygiene standards to prevent contamination. When implemented together, these systems minimize food safety risks, ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, and protect consumer health by maintaining consistent control over critical processes, and proper hygiene and sanitation throughout the supply chain.

In this FREE technical webinar, industry experts will guide you through best practices, regulatory expectations, and real-world applications of HACCP principles and sanitation strategies. Learn how to design, implement, and monitor complex food safety systems that minimizes risks, enhance operational efficiency, and ensure product integrity from production to consumption.

WEBINAR DETAILS

 HACCP Implementation in the Food Industry Speaker

 Ms. Welma Manrique is an expert in food safety and quality management, holding certifications as a Lead Auditor for BRCGS Food Issue 9 and FSSC 22000. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Food Technology from Bicol University in the Philippines. Ms. Welma has extensive knowledge of various international standards, including ISO 22000, HACCP, and sustainability practices like TACCP/VACCP. She is experienced in improving systems, managing risks, and ensuring the continuous quality and safety of food products. She believes that strong product quality speaks for itself and that continuous training and the right skills are key to long-term success in any organization.

Trends and Updates for Hygiene and Sanitation Monitoring Speaker

Ms. Alissa Shida is a Microbiology Specialist and Forensic Science Expert with a Master's degree in Forensic Science and a Bachelor's degree in Microbiology. Currently serving as the Regional Manager at Kikkoman Biochemifa Company, she and her team provide advanced hygiene testing solutions to various industries, ensuring compliance with safety standards. With a focus on microbiological analysis and contaminant detection, Ms. Alissa is committed to staying at the forefront of the field, delivering innovative solutions, and maintaining high industry standards.

Don't miss out on this excellent learning opportunity! Whether enhancing your existing programs or developing a new one, this session will equip you with key insights and practical tools to elevate your food safety performance. The electronic copy of the certificates will be issued to attendees 2-3 weeks after the webinar. For any questions or clarifications, send an email to gabriellellamas@glenwood.ph

IAFP European Symposium 2025 – Technical Session 9

T9: Evaluation of Easy Plate YM-R™ for Enumerating Yeasts and Molds in Both High and Low Water Activity Foods

Introduction

Kikkoman Biochemifa Company will be presenting new validation data for Easy Plate YM-R™, a ready-to-use (RTU) culture medium developed for the rapid enumeration of yeasts and molds. The product enables results in 48 to 72 hours and is suitable for both high and low water activity foods. This presentation will take place as part of Technical Session 9 (T9) at the IAFP European Symposium 2025.

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance of Easy Plate YM-R™ in alignment with AOAC Performance Tested Methods℠, MicroVal, and NordVal certification requirements, with particular focus on applied statistical methods for method validation.

Study Overview

Methodology:

Easy Plate YM-R™ was compared against ISO 21527-1/2 (2008) and BAM Chapter 18 (2001). Validation was conducted across diverse product categories including:

• Dairy
• Fruits and produce
• Multicomponent foods
• Bakery items
• Meat and poultry
• Dried foods
• Confectionery
• Pet foods
• Environmental swabs

Parameters assessed include:

• Relative trueness: 135 items using Bland-Altman plots
• Repeatability and accuracy: β-ETIs and confidence intervals (19 items)
• Selectivity: 50 inclusivity strains, 30 exclusivity strains Robustness, consistency, and stability: via ANOVA

Key Findings

• At 48 hours, Easy Plate YM-R™ demonstrated agreement with reference methods in three categories: produce, multicomponent foods, and environmental samples
• At 72 hours, consistent agreement was achieved across all tested food types, within ±0.5 log or recalculated acceptance limits
• Selectivity surpassed reference methods, with the medium supporting growth of all tested xerophilic and non-xerophilic inclusivity strains, and inhibiting all exclusivity strains
• Robustness testing indicated the importance of maintaining correct incubation temperature
• Consistency and long-term product stability were also confirmed

Conclusion

Easy Plate YM-R™ is a robust and time-saving alternative to traditional yeast and mold testing methods. It offers a simplified workflow, wide applicability across food matrices, and strong statistical validation. The method is especially valuable for manufacturers managing both high and low water activity products.

Presenters

• Shinichiro Sugiura – Primary Author and Presenter, Kikkoman Biochemifa Company
• Daiki Utsunomiya – Kikkoman Biochemifa Company
• Alice Foxall – Campden BRI
• Suzanne Jordan – Campden BRI

We welcome IAFP EU 2025 attendees to join Technical Session 9 (T9) to learn more about the validation and application of Easy Plate YM-R™ in microbiological testing. For additional information or to request a meeting during the event, please contact us through our [inquiry form] or speak with your local representative.

IAFP European Symposium 2025 – Poster Session P1-69

Evaluation of Accuracy and Efficiency for Novel Automatic Colony Counting System for Ready-to-Use Culture Media, Easy Plate™

Introduction

Ready-to-use (RTU) culture media improves food safety testing by offering quicker preparation, compact form, easy handling, and clearer visibility of colonies compared to traditional agar media. However, manual colony counting remains labor-intensive and requires trained personnel. To enhance efficiency, an automated colony counting solution is necessary.

Purpose

This study aimed to evaluate the rapidity and accuracy of a new Colony Counting System (CCS) developed for Easy Plate™ (Kikkoman Biochemifa Company). The CCS uses a general document scanner with an automatic feeder and dedicated analysis software based on object detection through machine learning.

Method

Ten types of food samples were diluted and plated on Easy Plate media for Aerobic Count (AC) and Coliform Count (CC) testing. Three levels of contamination were prepared, and results from the CCS were compared with conventional manual counting in terms of processing time and colony count accuracy.

Results

The CCS processed each sheet in approximately 5.0 to 6.4 seconds, regardless of bacterial load. In contrast, manual counting took between 13.8 and 44.5 seconds per sheet, especially longer at lower contamination levels (10–50 CFU/sheet). The correlation coefficient between the CCS and manual counting was over 0.98 for both AC and CC tests. These findings indicate that the CCS can reduce counting time by approximately 77% without compromising accuracy.

Significance

Combining ready-to-use culture media with an automated counting system provides an efficient, accurate, and cost-saving approach to microbiological testing. This innovation is particularly valuable for high-throughput environments in food safety laboratories.

Presenters

• Shinichiro Sugiura, Primary Author, Kikkoman Biochemifa Company
• Kentaro Takenaka, Abstract Presenter, Kikkoman Corporation