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QS-Report Fruit, Vegetables, Potatoes | Issue September 2019 • Microbiological analysis • Traceability tests • Scheme participant – Gemüsering • Quarantine pests on potatoes • Food scanners • Short & Up to date Editorial Qualitätssicherung. Vom Landwirt bis zur Ladentheke. Dear readers, Delivering the best quality is the ambition of all produ- cers. There should be no interference in the subsequent marketing chain, to make sure that consumers can buy flawless products. Food scanners can capture many quality parameters without damaging the product. The QS Science Funds are therefore supporting a research project on the use of food scanners for selected fruits and vegetables. In a recent QS workshop, we wanted to know which methods are suitable for reliably analysing and correctly evaluating microbiological findings such as EHEC in laboratories. Read more about this in the expert discus- sion with Dr. Marcus Langen from Dr. Berns Laboraty. We hope you enjoy reading it. Your QS Team Analyse and evaluate EHEC correctly QS Workshop on microbiological analysis Microbiological findings such as STEC / EHEC often have far-reaching consequences for those involved in the production and marketing chain. On the other hand, such find- ings in laboratory practice repeat- edly raise questions concerning the appropriate analytical procedures and the correct interpretation of the results according to food law. For QS, these numerous open ques- tions were the reason to offer a workshop for private laboratories. The event in Cologne was attended by 20 laboratory employees. Four speakers discussed the major challenges of this area with them. At the event, QS talked to one of the speakers, Dr. Marcus Langen, veterinary specialist for food and deputy managing director of Dr. Berns Laboratory, about the chal- lenges laboratories are facing and the results of the workshop. WHY ARE THE CORRECT ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF EHEC FINDINGS IMPORTANT? Depend i ng on t he i r g ene t i c makeup, some E. coli strains can cause severe illness in humans wit h diar r hoea , vomit ing and possibly kidney damage. These include STEC (shigatoxigenic E. coli), also known as EHEC (entero- haemorrhagic E. coli) in the case of corresponding clinical symptoms in humans. For preventive consumer protection and in order to avoid negative consequences for those involved in the production and marketing chain, reliable analy- sis and correct evaluation of the analysis results are indispensable. Laboratories bear a great respon- sibility with the correct diagnosis. WHICH PARAMETERS CAN BE USED FOR THE ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF THE FINDINGS? So far, only sprouts must undergo a mandatory analysis However, as part of the general duty of care of a food company, it can nevertheless be useful to examine other vegeta- ble foods for STEC within the frame- work of their self-monitoring. The QS guideline Preparation/Process- ing Fruit, Vegetables and Potatoes explicitly stipulates that ready-to- eat fruit and vegetables must be subject to an appropriate exami- nation at least every three months. WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES FOR A RELIABLE ANALYSIS AND EVALU- ATION OF THE FINDINGS? An impor t ant indicat ion of a STEC / EHEC strain is the presence of one or more so-called stx genes. These enable STEC / EHEC to form a toxin in the intestine and damage the cells located there. Successful stem isolation (molecular biolog- ical and cultural) is crucial for the reliable STEC / EHEC detection. The challenge in laboratory practice is QS-Report Fruit, Vegetables, Potatoes 02/2019 Content