Local Health - Hotel Testing

As the hospitality industry continues to grow and evolve, one area that remains of critical importance is food safety. Hotels are responsible for ensuring the safety and quality of the food they serve to guests, and this requires rigorous food safety testing and routine monitoring.

Hospitality & Food Safety in Hotels

Ensuring food safety is of utmost importance in hotel kitchens. The implementation of kitchen hygiene standards and adherence to food safety protocols are essential to protect the health of guests and maintain a good reputation.

GUEST SAFETY

This is the most important reason for good food hygiene in hotels. Poor food hygiene can lead to the spread of harmful bacteria and other microorganisms that can cause food poisoning and other illnesses.

"Improve Food Safety & Hygiene in the workplace"

Foodborne illness: Foodborne illnesses can have a significant impact on the reputation of a hotel and its bottom line, not to mention the health and safety of guests. Therefore, it is essential for hotels to implement comprehensive food safety programs that include regular testing and monitoring of food products.

Hotels must ensure that their food is free from harmful pathogens, contaminants, and toxins. This involves regular testing of food samples for microbiological hazards such as bacteria (e.g. Salmonella and E. coli). Testing may include microbiological analysis, chemical and allergen analysis.

Reputation and guest satisfaction: A hotel that fails to maintain good food hygiene practices risks damaging its reputation. Overall, having a food safety plan in place is crucial for protecting consumer health, meeting legal/hygiene requirements and maintaining brand reputation.

TEST SCOPE

The frequency of testing food, swabs and water is determined by an individual HACCP plans. However, it is recommended to test food and surfaces every three months if the food ingredients remain unchanged. Water testing should be conducted annually.

Recommendation microbiology tests food:

Recommendation microbiology tests for swabs:

Recommendation microbiology tests for water testing (water or/and ice):

LINK TO BROCHURE: Hotel Testing - Food Safety

OUR SERVICE

Agrifood Technology offer a complete service to assist hotels, restaurants and caterers in meeting its regulatory requirements, which includes picking up samples and laboratory analysis all in one. Our staff offer their analytical expertise to assist you in meeting all necessary food safety guidelines.

Victorian Council Testing

Agrifood Technology offer municipal Councils a wide range of testing services under the Victorian Food Act. 1984. We are proud to be the preferred laboratory of testing for over 39 councils across metro and rural Victoria.

We have six Authorised Analysts approved in the areas of Microbiological, Chemical, Allergen and Physical analysis of food. Authorised analysts play an important role in monitoring the safety, composition and truth in labelling of foods.

Analyses are conducted to determine compliance with the Act and the Code.

Tests may include an assessment of:
• Microbiological safety
• Chemical residue levels
• Compliance with the mandatory declaration of allergens
• Composition, including the accuracy of label statements or claims (for example, nutrition information or ingredient lists)

Microbiological - Food Safety Testing

Agrifood Technology tests the food samples provided by the councils to ensure that it is safe and suitable for consumption as per the criteria set up the Food Act 1984.

Food safety can be classified into 3 main categories:
1. Microbiologically - To ensure that there are no harmful food pathogens.
2. Food allergens - To ensure that all food allergens are declared regardless of how small the amount as people with food allergies can have a severe reaction to even the smallest trace amounts of certain allergenic foods. Common allergens include – Gluten, milk, soy, peanut, egg, lupin, sesame, tree nuts, mollusc and crustacean.
3. Chemical residues - To ensure that there are no harmful residues, pesticides or heavy metals in the food we consume.

 
We are confident we can provide expert advice on legislation and in particular the Food Standards code and provide Councils with timely, reliable and accurate analysis according to relevant legislations to enable Councils to fulfil their duties as regulators.

Download Forms:

Council Brochure

Council Consumable - Request Form

Environmental Swabbing Procedure - Council Micro testing

Pool & Spa Water Testing

Pool Water testing for compliance with the Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019 is another service Agrifood Technology are now offering to Victorian Councils.

The following parameters are tested:

- Heterotrophic plate count
- Escherichia coli
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Download Form:

Procedure for Pool & Spa water sampling

Authorised Analyst Listing

At Agrifood we have 6 authorised analysts speacilised in the fields of food safety and microbiology - see below outline.

Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us, if you need further assistance with your Councils food sampling schedule or additional testing requirements.

Microbiological Food Testing

Agrifood Technology is a NATA accredited specialised Microbiological Testing Laboratory - offering complete microbiological services in Food & Feed safety testing.

"Complete Microbiological services in Food & Feed safety testing"

All testing services carried out adhere to stringent accreditation and quality assurance requirements (NATA). Microbiological testing is an important component of any food safety program and as such, timely testing and service is imperative.

Agrifood Technology provides a wide range of microbiological services to assist with your product release requirements, as well as ensuring the safety and hygiene of your production processes and environmental safety systems through environmental and surface swab testing.

Key Tests:

Coliforms
E.coli
Listeria
Salmonella
Yeast and Mould
Coagulase positive Staphylococcus
Standard Plate Count
Bacillus cereus
Clostridium perfringens
Enterobacteriaceae
Lactic acid bacteria

Download Information & Forms:

Microbiology Testing Brochure

Microbiological Fact Sheet

Food Testing Brochure

Water Testing at Agrifood DML - Client information

Microbiology Water Sample Submission form

Water sample collection instructions for Microbilogical testing

Link to full NATA accreditation:

VIC: NATA link

WA: NATA link

QLD: NATA link

Food matrices covered include:

• Cereal products
• Nuts and nut products
• Dairy products
• Meat and meat products
• Poultry and poultry products
• Fish, crustaceans and molluscs
• Sugar products, honey and confectionery
• Vegetables and vegetable products
• Fruit and fruit products
• Beverages
• Animal feeds
• Mixed Foods
• Herbs and spices
• Pet foods
• Finished products

Test

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Milling Services

Milling Services

The high milling quality of Australian wheat assures its value on the world market. Being able to provide customers with information as to the suitability of this wheat to particular processing techniques and end products is of immense value. Supplementing the grain quality information Agrifood Technology is able to provide, our laboratory can complete the quality profile by conducting analysis on flour and dough characteristics. Agrifood Technology offers an in depth look at milling yield, compositional breakdown of flours and strength of doughs.

Our customers are then able to determine the suitability of their grain to particular end products. Flour is produced and extraction rates determined in controlled conditions using Buhler pilot mills. Follow on tests include:

• Farinograph
• Alveograph
• Extensograph
• Amylograph
• Kent Jones & Minolta colour
• Starch damage

Do you have the perfect grain to meet your requirements?

If your buyer wants white wheat to make udon noodles, you need to make sure you are selling the right blend of white wheat. Colour tests are just the beginning. Agrifood Technology tests all the key attributes of your grain and grain products to determine quality, milling yield, flour composition and dough strength. This will provide you with information to determine the suitability of grain for a particular end-product or a particular processing technique.

Nutritional & Water Testing

Agrifood Technology WA offers an extensive range of agro-nutritional services.

These include analysis of:

• Water
• Soil
• Plant Tissue
• Fertilisers
• Lime (Dolomite)
  

Why Do I Need My Water Tested?

In Perth, there are a number of aquifers, allowing both residential and commercial bores to be dug to access this ground water. Due to the requirement to have bore water tested, some of Agrifood Technology’s main customers for water analysis are bore drillers and irrigation specialists who require analysis on both new and existing bore water.

As bore water is often high in iron and calcium and/or salinity, water analysis ensures that the bore water can be used efficiently to water plants, trees and lawns.

Agrifood Technology also offers a water monitoring service for a number of local councils and private sporting organisations (golf courses etc). This monitoring service provides analysis of water quality at designated times throughout the year (e.g. quarterly). Our staff are able to take the water samples, conduct the analysis and provide a comprehensive report, including recommendations.

Agrifood Technology also provides services to a number of horticulturalists who require a holistic analysis service, investigating the nutritional profile of their soil, irrigation water, fertiliser and plant tissue.

Lime Analysis

Guidelines for collection and submission of water samples

End Product Assessment

Agrifood Technology's Product baking and noodle assessment services are invaluable in fine-tuning formulations and manufacturing processes. The work conducted by our highly skilled staff can provide your company with vital advice on improving product quality, nutritional value and processing techniques, thus allowing you to increase consumer satisfaction, streamline techniques and significantly reduce your processing costs.

The laboratory offers a range of services that include:

• assessment of the suitability of flour for particular end products
• analysis of the composition of flour and the effect components have on end product quality and processing
• the effect additives may have on end product quality
• additives which increase nutritional or processing characteristics
• development of new products

Agrifood Technology's End Product laboratory has been conducting analysis of wheat products for over 10 years. Over that time, our laboratory has developed market driven and comprehensive end product assessment on a large range of products.

Our laboratory has a fully equipped test kitchen where new products can be produced and evaluated. Additionally, all research is fully supported by our grain quality and flour and dough rheology testing and as such, supporting data required to design and carry out experiments can be conducted rapidly and efficiently.

Food Shelf Life Testing Services

Agrifood Technology specialises in a variety of food safety testing options, including pesticide residue testing, mycotoxin analysis, virus testing and microbiological analysis.

Whether you’re a farmer, a baker or another kind of food manufacturer, we can help determine if your products meet Australia’s food safety regulations. With three locations, we provide services to growers and manufacturers across the country.

Importance of Food Safety Testing

In order to comply with the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, all manufacturers and growers must ensure that their food products do not exceed the maximum allowed amount of contaminants, whether chemical or natural (for example, pesticides or fungi, respectively). To ensure that your products meet these standards, it’s important to have your produce and food products tested.

Agrifood Technology offers a range of food safety tests to ensure that your products adhere to regulatory systems such as those set by the Safe Quality Foods Institute and Wheat Quality Australia.

To learn more about our food safety testing services or schedule an appointment, fill out our contact form or call one of our laboratories:

• Werribee, VIC: 1800 801 312
• Derrimut, VIC: +61 (0)3 9369 5018
• Fremantle, WA: +61 (08) 9418 5333
• Hemmant, QLD: +61 (07) 3107 9928

For more information about the varieties of food safety testing we perform, check out the information below.

Shelf Life Testing

Shelf life testing is to determine whether the product is still within the timeframe of being acceptable to consume or sold in retail. It is recommended to validate the product shelf life prior selling as food can deteriorate over time. Products can also be tested at the end of shelf life to ensure that your product has passed its shelf life and still within the safe limits, even though the sensory quality may have been affected.
 
Agrifood Technology offers shelf life testing where we can accommodate your own in-house protocol or provide you with a customised testing protocol.

Shelf life testing assists food manufacturers to comply with statutory or commercial requirements by verifying that products display the appropriate “use by” and/or “best before” date(s). 

Before we begun testing or accept samples, please contact one of our customer service team members for a shelf life questionnaire. This questionnaire will provide our senior microbiologist with an in-depth knowledge of your product and enable us to propose a customised protocol. 

Custom protocols include: Storage temperature, list of recommended tests, basic sensory and time points. Our shelf life protocols are flexible, where we can work with our customers to make changes and update as needed to meet our client requirements.

Download brochure:

Shelf Life Testing Brochure

Pesticide Residue Testing

We test for a wide variety of contaminants, including pesticides, herbicides, fumigants, and heavy metals, this list is constantly updated as per the Australian Food standard requirements. Our team of scientist analyse and review the tests and all MRL violations are retested so you can rest assured of the accuracy of our services.

Routine pesticide residue testing can help you meet local regulatory requirements and provide your customers with the highest quality products. Whether you need to test animal feed or fresh produce, we have effective solutions to meet your needs. For prompt and reliable results, reach out to our team today.

Microbiological Analysis

Microbiology Testing Brochure

Agrifood Technology can conduct microbiological analysis including pathogen testing to determine food product hygiene using traditional test methods. Tests on food, feed and water include:

• Coliforms
• E.coli
• Listeria
• Salmonella
• Yeasts and Mould
• Coagulase positive Staphylococcus
• Standard Plate Count

Allergen Testing

Agrifood Technology provides allergen testing to manufacturers to determine whether you meet quality and regulatory guidelines. With our efficient and accurate tests, you can properly label products and keep your customers healthy.

We test for all the common allergens including gluten, peanuts, egg, dairy, and soy. We also have the capability to test for more than 24 allergens, and we can help make sure that your processes are safe. Our allergens are all based on the latest ELISA techniques and we take a customer-centric approach, which means you can count on us to be thorough and offer short turnaround times.

Undeclared allergens form the largest group of food recalls in Australia, with over 30 years of experience, we have the knowledge and equipment to verify that your materials, processes, and products meet specifications. We offer tailored testing services to meet your needs and exceed expectations.

Ensure the quality of your products with allergen testing from Agrifood Technology. We are proud to offer superior customer service and competitive prices, so contact us for a quote. Learn more about our other food testing services and make sure your products meet local standards.

Mycotoxin Analysis

Mycotoxins are chemicals produced by the growth of moulds and fungi on agricultural crops and a variety of food and livestock feed products, due to poor harvesting conditions and/or improper storage. Their presence poses a serious threat to the health of consumers.

Agrifood Technology's mycotoxin testing service for the grain, food, feed and seed industries ensures your products pose minimal health risks.

Agrifood Technology's mycotoxin testing portfolio includes analysis for the presence of:

Virus Testing

In response to industry concerns, Agrifood Technology has developed a capability to conduct virus testing on various seed products. Having seed analysed for viruses prior to sowing is of particular concern this season. Agrifood can conduct testing for:

• CMV
• AMV

Please feel free to contact Agrifood to discuss these testing requirements further.

Grain Testing

Agrifood Technology has over 30 years of Grain and Flour Testing knowledge and experience. The high milling quality of Australian wheat assures its value on the world market. Being able to provide customers with information as to the suitability of this wheat to particular processing techniques and end products is of immense value.

Read on to learn more about our company, our testing services and our experience.

Why should you choose Agrifood Technology?

Agrifood Technology has the capability to conduct Germination testing on grains. This is a critical assessment of your grain prior to sowing of the new season's crop.

Every year Agrifood Technology conducts an average of 124,000 tests on 25,000 samples.

Any Questions About Our Grain Quality Testing Services?

Nutritional Profiling Services

If you are in the food industry, you know the importance of nutrition labels on the foods you produce and sell. Your company’s reputation is at stake when your customers rely on the accuracy and details of your nutrition labels.

At Agrifood Technology, we have over 30 years of experience in this field, and we are proud to serve Australia with our testing facilities around the continent. If you need nutritional profiling services, contact us today to learn more about how we can help.

What is nutritional profiling?

Nutritional profiling involves testing for a variety of things as detailed below:

• Energy
• Carbohydrates
• Protein
• Fat content
• Fat profile – Trans, saturated, unsaturated and omega fatty acids
• Sugars
• Sodium
• Total dietary fibre
• Moisture and Ash (used to calculate energy )

Why is it important?

Many people rely on these details, especially if they are closely watching what they eat or if they have strict dietary restrictions. For example, some people must really watch how much sodium or cholesterol they consume, so they pay close attention to all the nutrition labels on their foods. However, if your food’s nutrition facts are inaccurate, you could risk harming their health and losing their business.

Instead, you want to show your customers that you value their health and let them know they can trust you and your nutritional information. You can rely on Agrifood Technology to give your customers all the accurate information they need when they consume your products.

For more information about our nutritional profiling services, contact Agrifood Technology today by filling out our online contact form. You can also contact our client services team directly at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Services Summary

Agrifood Technology test results provide valuable information for use in all areas of agribusiness and assist commercial businesses to meet consumer expectations for the assurance of the quality and safety of food, feed and other agricultural products.

Shelf Life testing Grain quality assessment     Nutritional labelling Pesticide residues     Plant tissue Mycotoxins     Allergens Water, soil & fertiliser analysis     Stockfeed analysis Microbiological testing Council Testing  Hotel Testing - Local Health

General Download:

Shelf Life Testing Brochure

Food Safety Brochure

Microbiology Testing Brochure

Allergen Testing Brochure

Nutritional Testing Brochure

Pesticide Testing Brochure

Council Brochure

Hotel Testing - Food Safety