Micreos Food Safety featured in Western Food Processor magazine

Western Food Processor magazine has featured Micreos Food Safety and our Sales Director North America in their summer edition

Below the entire article can be read

Phage technology has become mainstream as processors across a variety of food industries recognize the benefits of pathogen kill, load reductions and associated health & regulatory benefits. As one of the newest intervention options available to processors, phage has taken its place alongside more traditional interventions as part of the food safety toolbox.

Phage co-evolve with bacteria and is mother nature’s way of keeping bacterial populations in check. Every bacteria on the planet has a phage which selectively kills it. They are the most abundant micro-organism in the biosphere outnumbering bacteria by 10-fold. The use of phage for human health concerns is growing now more than ever, due to the rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria. In food production, phage is used to kill Listeria, Salmonella and E.coli 0157. Up until recently, the use of phage for Listeria kill in RTE meats was its most common use. Phage have specific benefits which are unique and allow processors to approach pathogen reduction efforts from a variety of angles. The application of phage can typically achieve between one-three logs reductions on food and three-five logs on environmental surfaces. This is unique in the world of food safety as most other interventions only inhibit the growth of bacteria — whereas phage kill. Phage are applied topically, usually via spray, dip or mist and are considered a processing aid so there is no labeling required. Unlike other chemistries used externally such as organic acids or preservatives formulated into the food, phage do not affect organoleptic properties. They are odourless, colourless and tasteless.

Phage technology as a food safety intervention has evolved tremendously over the past few years says Robin Peterson, director of sales for Micreos Food Safety.

“I began following phage out of a personal interest during a time when I was working with organic acid derivatives. In the early years, most processors did not know much about phage and those who did were primarily in the RTE meat space. We are now we are working across a variety of industries, Fresh & RTE Meat & Poultry, Vegetables, Dairy, Frozen Foods, Smoked Salmon and Seafood.“

Robin Peterson – Director of Sales North America

The two largest growth segments for phage over the past year have been the use of PhageGuard S for salmonella kill in raw ground poultry products; as well as the use of PhageGuard Listex in seafood processing, primarily cold smoked salmon. Listex is also widely used in environmental applications to help eradicate Listeria biofilms. PhageGuard E for the elimination of E.coli 0157 has also been gaining in popularity as has the exploration and testing of PhageGuard S in raw pork
and beef as the USDA looks to impose regulatory performance standards Smart, Green and Easy: processors are recognizing the unique attributes of phage and exploiting the benefits PhageGuard provides.

In Canada, Micreos partners with Think Ingredients, a Toronto-based, specialty food ingredients distributor. “Think Ingredients has been a tremendous asset in supporting the customer base and the growth of our business in Canada,” says Peterson. Technically savvy, the founders of Think Ingredients, Andy Sinkovits and Heather Buchmann opened up shop after having spent many years in the technical ingredient space. The partnership with Micreos was a natural fit for Think as they specialize in bringing novel food safety solutions to their customers.