El propósito de la aplicación de la técnica de IV Gama en la elaboración de ensaladas listas para el consumo fresco, esta dirigido al control del deterioro en lechuga americana (Lactuca sativa), zanahoria (Daucus carota L.), radicchio (Cichorium intybus L.) y escarola (Cichorium endivia L.), destinadas a preparar ensaladas tipo “Mediterránea y Cheff”. La metodología permitió seleccionar y evaluar la técnica de IV Gama, así como las buenas prácticas de manufactura para extender la vida comercial de las ensaladas y garantizar la seguridad alimentaria para la población potencialmente consumidora. La aplicación combinada de soluciones de cloruro de calcio al 1%, acido cítrico a 0,1% y oxido de magnesio al 0,5% contribuyo a mantener la calidad de las ensaladas por un período de 16 días bajo refrigeración a 5 + 1 °C y 95 + 5% HR. En conclusión las técnicas ensayadas, posibilitaron extender el valor comercial de estos productos.

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Rev.Fac.Nal.Agr.Medellín 61(2): 4658-4666. 2008

Palabras claves: Mínimo procesado, buenas prácticas de manufactura (BPM), Ensaladas de vegetales.

A training course is given to food service personnel, and locations are visited to take samples and a to make a sanitary inspection in order to verify food safety, hygiene and disinfection measures. Along with the test results, an action plan is generated to suggest all the necessary corrective actions to be taken.

Training

The training course is imparted in two different modalities: The first option is two days (16 hour) long and allows time for various learning activities to reinforce learning. The second one is a condensed version which takes 8 hours. The topics addressed are as follows:

1. How to provide safe food
2. The microscopic world
3. Contamination and food allergies
4. The responsible employee in food handling
5. Buying and receiving salubrious food
6. How to store salubrious food
7. How to prepare the food
8. How to protect the food during service
9. The HACCP system principles
10. Plague management and healthy installations

The course is taught by Dr. José Antonio Gené, certified by the US National Restaurant Association, and Dr. Florencia Antillón, associate professor of food microbiology at the University of Costa Rica.

After one and a half years, two of the founders decided to sell their share in the company, leaving the Microtec in the hands of the other two founders: Florencia Antillón Guerrero and José A. Gene Valverde.

During the first years, they both completed their Master’s degrees in Costa Rica and Stockholm, Sweden and have worked collaterally in the academia as food microbiology professors at the Universidad de Costa Rica for over twenty five years. This would become significant in the direction Microtec would take from there.

From the early 1990’s the academic experience and contact with the industry pushed forward the  initiative to provide training courses, consulting, and auditing in sanitation and quality as a Yum! Brands auditor leader for all national suppliers. Strategic alliances emerged throughout this period with Sweden’s Diffchamb AB and 3M’s microbiology division, as well as obtaining a ServSafe instructor certification in Chicago. Moreover, in order to strengthen quality management, training was received in the ISO 17025 standard in Los Angeles, and Microtec was included in AOAC’s Proficiency Testing network. New projects emerged afterwards, such as analyses for companies in the medical device and injectables industry. Additionally, in the last few years Microtec has financed and carried out research projects in the food microbiology sector.

Currently, after twenty nine years of consolidation and experience Microtec conserves its dedication to the industrial sector and its employees are committed  to the ethical values of the company. This commitment means being competitive though excellence in the quality of our service offering and maintaining a permanent contact with emerging technologies to put them at the industry’s service.

Since the early 80’s José Antonio started as part of research team at the University of Costa Rica and was a cofounder of an industry-directed testing laboratory. He was involved in the production of antivenins and other biological products and teaching immunology. After taking all courses for a masters degree in Costa Rica he decided to go to Stockholm and start a Masters program at the Karolinska Institute which he finished in 1992.

He flew back to Costa Rica and continued his job at Microtec where he has been until now as a senior Microbiologist. During that time he became an auditor for Yum! Foods and has been performing Sanitary and Quality audits for more than ten years in different industries and obtained certification as a ServSafe instructor. He also implemented the microbiological control for clean rooms as that need became evident in Costa Rica.

As head of the analyst team at Microtec he has been implementing and performing microbiological testing for foods, pharmaceuticals, disinfectants and medical devices.

Florencia Antillón, MSc.
Chief Scientific Officer

Florencia started her studies in the faculty of Microbiology and graduated in microbiology and clinical chemistry. Nevertheless, after working in the children’s hospital as a student she decided to specialize in microbiology instead of clinical chemistry because microorganisms in all their forms are her passion. So, she cofounded an industry directed testing laboratory (Microtec) and incorporated into the microbiology department at the Universidad de Costa Rica carrying out research and teaching in the food and water microbiology field. She completed an internship at Karolinska Institute to complete her master’s degree thesis comparing isolated Campylobacter from clinical samples to those from food. She graduated in 1994, has taken courses and workshops around the world and has continued her work at Microtec where she has been until now a senior microbiologist.

She’s in charge of implementing and supervising food and water testing methods at Microtec, and of leading research the industry need to develop safe, quality products. Her experience entitles her to give training in the fields of applied microbiology and food safety quality control systems. 

José Roberto Gené, MBA
VP Corporate Development

José studied at the University of Costa Rica obtaining a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science in 2007. He then proceeded to take a position as an analyst in the technology section of the Central Bank of Costa Rica. At the same time, he worked as a consultant and provided business consulting to Microtec. He moved to Toronto in 2009 to pursue his Master’s in Business Administration which he obtained in June 2011.

José Roberto specializes in entrepreneurship and international business, and provides consulting to Canadian companies interested in Costa Rica, and Costa Rican companies aiming for the Canadian Market.

Example of analyses offered:

• Spoilage organisms (e.g. Psychrophilic microorganisms, yeast, and mold)
• Indicator organisms (e.g. E. coli, coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus)
• Bacterial Pathogens (e.g. E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter spp., Clostridium spp., Shigella spp., Vibrio spp.)
• Shelf life testing
• Pathogen challenge testing for various food matrices

In water microbiology the water is contaminated when it contains a chemical or biological poison or an infectious agent.
Potability refers to the drinkability of water. When potable, it is fit for drinking. When unpotable it is unfit due to some contaminant or pollutant.

There are methods to detect bacterial contamination of water. The chief objective is to identify coliform organisms such as Escherichia coli. Their presence indicates that water contains fecal pollution and is unsafe for consumption.

Efficacy of Antimicrobial Preservative on Pharmaceutical Products Validation & analysis available to assess the efficacy of the preservative system across a wide range of product types including, Parenteral, Ophthalmic,Topical or Oral.

• Microbial Examination of Non Sterile Products
• Total viable aerobic counts
• Total viable microbial count
• Yeasts & Mould count
• Tests for specified microorganisms
• Escherichia coli
• Salmonella spp
• Pseudomonas spp
• Staphylococcus aureus
• Bile tolerant Gram-negative Bacteria
• Bacterial Endotoxin Testing

• Environmental and surfaces viable particles
  Biocontamination of surfaces and air (environmental or compressed) are performed according to ISO Standards.
• Non-viable particles
  Counts are performed at different particle sizes according to customer needs using U.S.A. calibrated equipment.
• Bioburden testing
  As part of validation and revalidation of a sterilization process and/or as routine control of the manufacturing process for sterile medical devices the enumeration and characterization of viable microorganisms is critical. Procedures to establish the bioburden estimate according to ISO 11737-1 are performed in Microtec Laboratory within a QA program in order to obtain reliable results.

For more information on our services for life sciences contact info@labmicrotec.com

We perform airborne particle measurement and working  surfaces bioburden following ISO Standards.

The laboratory aims to have a degree of excelence using the most sesible, specific and modern testing methods available to us, paired with access to the most up to date scientific information to guarantee safe, high quality food products.

Our people

The laboratory has administrative and technical personnel with the authority and resources to carry out their tasks, identify deviations and initiate preventive measures when needed. They are prepared to fulfill their functions an identify situations where the quality system might become compromised. This is possible thanks to the training and tools provided to them when working within Microtec. At the same time, this is achieved by:

· Hiring only personnel qualified for the job at hand. This capacity must be proven by the person, by their track record and/or an evaluation by the professionals at Microtec.

The training provided regarding the quality system of the laboratory.

Having clarity in terms of each person’s function and the scope of their work. Likewise, knowledge of each person’s responsibilities and necessary mechanisms to correct any problematic situation.