16S identification services for food-borne microbes

Combining 16S sequencing with expert interpretation, NIZO identifies your bacterial contamination, quickly, and can provide initial insight into the nature of the contamination and the potential root cause.

If you suspect bacterial contamination of a food product, you need a fast assessment to make decisions about releasing it. But you also need insight into how the contamination occurred, to investigate if it was a ‘one-off’ event, or an ongoing issue that needs to be addressed.

Spoilage identification through DNA sequence analytics

Using 16S sequencing, our spoilage identification service can help you get to the bottom of a potential bacterial contamination – quickly and efficiently. Even if the microbe itself is dead or unculturable, we can identify it through DNA sequence analysis of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. And we can take this analytics service further if you wish, with expert interpretation and advice.

In all cases, you receive an independent, confidential and knowledge-based service that matches your specific needs.

One-off and continuous bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequencing services

NIZO offers several service options, depending on your situation.

Standard priority identification (one-off service)

You provide your samples on Mondays or Wednesdays, and typically receive your results in four working days (after official receipt of the sample). This includes a standard microbial identification report with expected characteristics relevant for food safety, such as:

• The name of the microbe identified in your sample
• Its pathogenicity status
• Its common sources
• Information on spore forming ability and heat resistant properties.

High priority identification (one-off service) 

You provide your sample on any weekday, and receive your results in two to three working days (after official receipt of the sample). This includes the same microbial identification report as provided with the standard priority service (above).

Premium identification service package (continuous service)

NIZO provides continuous microbial identification for your samples throughout the year. The fixed price per sample enables you to predict your costs. Additional advantages include:

• Expert interpretation and advice on bacterial identifications that is tailored to your process and product, including possible routes of contamination and advice on mitigation
• Repeated analyses until a clear conclusion is obtained
• Sequence alignments and phylogenetic relationships with samples from the past that can provide insight into whether a contamination is part of a recurring pattern or is incidental. Such information is key to your track and trace activities (upon request)
• High priority identification for high urgency samples (upon request)
• Personal contact with our service team.

Which service is right for you?

Beyond these 16S identification services, NIZO can also support you with :

• High resolution strain characterisation using whole genome sequencing (WGS) and analysis,
• In-depth genome and transcriptome characterisation concerning safety-compromising functionalities,
• Process optimisation
• Other potential solutions for mitigation of food safety risks.