Hygiene Monitoring with the Portable Microbe Enrichment Unit (PMEU)

Elias Hakalehto, Doc., Ph.D.
Department of Biosciences
University of Eastern Finland
P.O.B. 1627
FI-70211 Kuopio
Finland

Abstract, 41st R3-Symposium of the R3-Nordic Society in Espoo 25.-26.5.2010

The PMEU (Portable Microbe Enrichment Unit) technology (Samplion Oy, Siilinjärvi, Finland) is a microbe cultivation method producing advantageous growth conditions for individual bacterial cells. Therefore, monitoring of bacterial populations and the presence of potential contaminants is optimised in terms of speed and accuracy. Hygienically important isolates of various bacterial strains have been cultivated aerobically, microaerobically or anaerobically using standard broth media by standard PMEU enhanced enrichment technology, or by PMEU Spectrion ® or PMEU Scentrion ® sensored units equipped with optical, IR, or gas sensors. The units were produced by Samplion Oy according to the ISO 9001 accepted protocol. The reference cultivations were carried out using standard microbiological procedures. The PMEU Spectrion ® is being validated by the VTT of Finland. PMEU versions facilitated ultra-fast detection of coliformic bacteria, bacilli, salmonellas, staphylococci, streptococci, campylobacteria and other groups. The PMEU Scentrion ® equipped with gas sensors for volatile organic compounds detected the contaminants at concentrations of bacterial levels around 10-1000 cfu/ml in 2-5 hours. Also the hospital validation studies in Austria and Finland are summarized. Moreover, The PMEU has been demonstrated to help the environmentally stressed cells to recover and become viable in the enrichment cultures. Hygiene sampling was carried out using a specific sampling syringe serving also as an incubator in the PMEU.

Biocide testing with PMEU Spectrion has begun!

PMEU biocide testing has been available already since the early years of this millenium. This method is based on Basic PMEU and ATP Assay. This combination gives reliable results and has been presented in several articles (last time in Paper and Timber, Nov. 2009).

First, very promising tests with PMEU Spectrion have now started, both in laboratory and in the mills. The picture above shows a typical equipment for mill trials, containing both PMEU Spectrion and ATP Assay tests. PMEU Spectrion measures growth curves of the microbial population (total or selective) automatically and is therefore independent of ATP Assay.

SAMPLION Ltd. will focus on Pulp and Paper biocide tests in August 2010, and samples are very welcome from 2.8.2010 on. More information of this free chance to be familiar with this novel method will be delivered by Microbiologist, Key Account Manager Juha V. Mentu (juha.mentu@samplion.fi) by request.

SAMPLION Ltd. exhibition stand before opening of the congress.

This picture represents the stand of SAMPLION Ltd. in PulPaper 2010 Congress exhibition on the day before the opening. This event was a success! 5800 visitors on Wednesday, on the "middle day" of the congress!

In addition to the exhibition stand, an oral presentation was given by Key Account Manager (originally paper industry microbiologist) Juha V. Mentu, which will be sent by request.