Food Safety and Authenticity Webinars

Learn more about the latest food microbiology testing issues, trends, and solutions

Explore our Food Safety and Authenticity Webinar Hub to learn about the latest issues and trends within food microbiology testing.

View more information below about the webinars available, from experts working in the fields of food pathogen detection, authenticity, and food safety testing.

Food Community News

Click the link below to register to receive information about other webinars and food product news

Sign up


Featured Webinars


Impact of new SARS-CoV-2 test method validations in the fight against COVID-19 in the food industry


How to minimize the risk of food fraud due to coronavirus


A serotype-specific PCR method for detecting Salmonella spp. in poultry

Learning Edge Divider

Food Safety and Authenticity Webinars

Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC) - Diagnostic challenges and impact on food supply

Speakers: Aurora Ciarrocchi, PhD and Francesco Pomilio DVM

Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC) is the third most important zoonosis in humans and is an increasing cause of foodborne outbreaks and sporadic clinical cases. It is a serious disease in children, where it is the cause of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Its detection in foods represents a significant challenge for laboratories, where tested samples are quite often positive with real-time PCR during screening, but often negative with plate-based detection.

In this webinar presented by Dr Aurora Ciarrocchi, PhD and Francesco Pomilio DVM, the figures from the past five years of diagnostic activity of the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise (IZSAM) are reported. A total of 1,716 foods and environmental samples were analyzed in order to detect STEC with ISO/TS13136:2012. Samples were gathered during official and routine control in the Abruzzo and Molise regions of Italy. The STEC genotypes and epidemiological situation in Italy and EU are also reported.

Watch webinar

A serotype-specific PCR method for detecting Salmonella spp. in poultry

Speaker: Dr. Frieda Jørgensen, Senior Scientist, Health Protection England

In 2020, an investigation into the presence of Salmonella spp. in reformed chicken products was undertaken in response to an increase in Salmonella Enteritidis infections in the UK. The initial detection of Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak strains was achieved through the application of a RapidFinder PCR Kit. This serotype-specific PCR method was chosen due to previous success in tracking the spread of Salmonella Typhimurium in the food chain from slaughterhouse environmental samples.

In this webinar, Dr. Frieda Jørgensen, Senior Scientist, Health Protection England, outlines the current investigation of Salmonella Enteritidis, sharing how the Thermo Scientific™ RapidFinder™ Salmonella multiplex PCR test enables rapid detection of contaminated products. Jørgensen highlights how this method can be applied to primary and secondary enrichments, as well as for the confirmation of isolates, and was especially important in analyzing products that were co-contaminated with other serovars where the presence of Salmonella Enteritidis was realized only as a result of the PCR.

Key learning points:

  • The limitations of conventional culture methods for samples co-contaminated with several serovars
  • The assay’s ease of laboratory uptake, robust calling of results, and reliable performance, regardless of whether applied to primary or secondary enrichments, for the confirmation of isolates, or use on challenging matrices
  • Straightforward serotype-specific PCR in samples that would otherwise have evaded detection
  • Rapid and more comprehensive identification of affected products for more effective intervention

Watch webinar

How to minimize the risk of food fraud due to coronavirus

Speaker: Dr. Bert Pöpping

The food supply chain can be daunting due to its extraordinary complexity. The coronavirus crises amplify the opportunities for fraud dramatically as in-person audits are no longer possible to uncover hidden rooms and storage areas or forbidden materials. This places a significant burden on food analysts to find food fraud through laboratory testing.

In this webinar, hosted by Select Science, Dr. Bert Pöpping explores the recent developments in the molecular methods field and put these methods in the context of standardization and existing public and private law. Dr. Pöpping will highlight the activities of government bodies, not for profit organisations like AOAC, ILSI and USP, and private law schemes like BRC, IFS, and SQF, and emphasize how the development of methods for species determination can help to detect adulteration.

Key learning points:

  • The new risks for food fraud in the supply chain due to coronavirus
  • How these risks can be mitigated
  • Current governmental developments and method approaches of AOAC International
  • How molecular methods can significantly contribute to uncovering food fraud in the supply chain

Watch webinar

Impact of new SARS-CoV-2 test method validations in the fight against COVID-19 in the food industry

Speaker: Danièle Sohier

Listen to Danièle Sohier, senior manager, global scientific affairs – food production at Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Pat Bird, technical consultant at AOAC International, as they discuss the methods available to monitor SARS-CoV-2 in food production environments.

  • SARS-CoV-2 detection for environmental monitoring to leverage a risk analysis and an appropriate hygiene intervention strategy
  • Aspects of the decision process for selecting a detection workflow
  • An overview of the AOAC Emergency Validation Response to support food business operators
  • All webinar participants can request a certificate of attendance, including a learning outcomes summary, for continuing education purposes.

Key learning points:

  • SARS-CoV-2 detection for environmental monitoring to leverage a risk analysis and an appropriate hygiene intervention strategy
  • Aspects of the decision process when selecting a detection workflow
  • An overview of the AOAC Emergency Validation Response to support the food business operators

Watch webinar

This webinar was originally hosted by Select Science on April 20, 2021.
Managing microbiological safety and quality of low moisture foods and ingredients

Speaker: François Bourdichon, Food Safety Microbiologist, Food Safety, Microbiology and Hygiene

This webinar presents the audience with an overview of the microbiological challenges the Dairy and Chocolate industry face when manufacturing low moisture foods. The session focuses on dry infant formula, cocoa and chocolate with the benefits gained from:  

  • harmonized test protocols for the detection of Salmonella spp., Cronobacter spp., and Staphylococcus aureus in powdered infant formula,
  • testing sample pooling or increasing the test portion size for cocoa, chocolates and powder infant formula

Key learning points:

  • An overview of regional and national regulations
  • The benefits of having a harmonized workflow across multiple pathogens on a single platform

Request Access

This webinar was originally hosted by Select Science on October 14, 2020

Impact of Salmonella on the global meat and poultry supply chain

Speakers: Erin Crowley, Chief Scientific Officer at Q Laboratories, Inc., and Martin Wiedmann, Gellert Family Professor in Food Safety at Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Key learning objectives:

From this webinar series, you will learn about:

  • Salmonella pathogenicity and transmission from animals to humans
  • Method performances assessment according to AOAC Guideline and ISO 16140-2:2016 standard
  • An overview of the U.S. National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP)
  • The importance of Salmonella as a zoonotic agent in poultry and pork production, and the current European Regulation to fight against specific Salmonella serotypes

Request Access

This webinar was originally hosted by Select Science on September 30, 2020

SARS-CoV-2 Detection in the Food Industry

Speakers: Patrick M. Bird, Owner, PMB BioTek Consulting, LLC and Alex Brandt, Ph.D, Chief Science Officer, Food Safety Net Services

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic AOAC INTERNATIONAL has activated an accelerated program to evaluate test kits for detecting coronavirus on surfaces. This webinar presents the audience with a summary of the Emergency Response Validation option of the AOAC Research Institute’s Performance Tested Methods Program and introduces a rapid, PCR test workflow available from Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Key learning points:

  • Information about the Emergency Response Validation option of the AOAC Research Institute’s Performance Tested Methods Program
  • An overview of the SARS-CoV-2 workflow study design
  • Aspects of the decision process important when selecting a method for the detection of SARS-CoV-2
  • An overview of the Thermo Scientific™ SARS-CoV-2 PCR workflow for detection of the virus on food packaging and environmental surfaces

Request access

This webinar was originally hosted by New Food Magazine on September 3rd, 2020.

Meat fraud, an old crime with some new twists

Speaker: Chris Elliott, Professor of Food Safety and Founder of the Institute for Global Food Security, Queen’s University 

In this webinar, originally hosted by New Food Magazine, Professor Chris Elliott examines the many different ways that meat fraud can manifest itself. From a dodgy butcher adding sawdust to his sausages to a national scandal involving large parts of the meat industry and government involved in corruption, bribery and cheating. While there are many ways to cheat there are nearly an equal number of ways to try and catch the cheats. We explore these and show how they can be employed at different parts of meat supply chains to have the maximum impact on deterring the fraudsters.

Request Access

How to efficiently and successfully implement a new food testing method in accordance with ISO 16140-part 3

Speakers:

  • Paul in ‘t Veld, Senior Scientist, Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority
  • Benjamin Diep, Research Scientist, Nestlé Research
  • Daniele Sohier, Senior Manager for Global Scientific Affairs – Food Protection, Thermo Fisher Scientific

Key learning points:

  • Overview of the ISO 16140 method validation series and how they relate to each other and the food testing laboratory
  • Deeper understanding of the requirements for successful implementation of ISO 16140-part 3
  • Learn how Thermo Fisher can support a laboratory through the ISO 16140-part 3 process

Request Access

This webinar was originally hosted by New Food Magazine in May 2020.

How Thermo Scientific food pathogen detection solutions can help the modern food testing laboratory overcome current and emerging risks

Speakers: Presented by Daniele Sohier and Matthew Hahs

A brief look at how market trends are placing increasing demands on the food testing laboratory and some of the key challenges this presents with regard to pathogen detection. Participants will then learn how Thermo Scientific™ PCR food pathogen solutions can help to overcome these challenges with workflows that; require a low number of handling steps, have proven accuracy, and deliver results in a short timeframe.

View webinar

An example of food microbiology testing method validation and verification according to the ISO 16140 standard series

Speakers: Daniele Sohier and Matthew Hahs

Follow the validation journey of a Thermo Scientific food pathogen detection solution through method validation according to ISO 16140-part 2:2016 and learn how Thermo Fisher can support your laboratory with the efficient and successful verification of an alternative method according to ISO 16140-part 3 (due to be published at the end of 2020).

View webinar

Harnessing the power of NGS technology in the fight against food fraud and damaged reputations

Speakers: Mario Gadanho and Nicole Prentice

The authenticity of food raw materials, ingredients and finished products is integral to securing and maintaining consumer trust and protecting company brands. A look at the current economic climate and how it is shaping food fraud in different segments and geographical regions of the market will set the scene for understanding how the Thermo Scientific NGS Food Authenticity workflow can be a powerful tool for food manufacturers.

View webinar

Learning Edge Divider