RFA Technical Webcasts

Successfully Navigating The Design and Execution of Challenge Studies

Many of the foods we eat every day are able to support the survival (and possibly the growth) of foodborne microbial pathogens or spoilage microorganisms during the course of their shelf life. To counteract the viability of these microorganisms in these foods, manufacturers will often employ control measures that involve managing the intrinsic factors (e.g. water activity, pH, nutrient availability, antimicrobial content, etc.) and extrinsic factors (e.g. packaging, atmosphere, storage temperature, etc.) of the food product. However, the extent to which these intrinsic and extrinsic factors inhibit the growth and survival of these microorgansims is generally not well understood unless a challenge study is performed. In such a study, a microorganism (or cocktail of microorganisms) is intentionally inoculated into a food product in a controlled laboratory setting, the product is packaged and held under its normal storage conditions, and the viability of the microorganism(s) is tracked over time with enuemration procedures that are carried out in the laboratory. One may also choose to evaluate several different formulations or holding conditions simultaneously in order to decipher which one provides the best results. The information gained from a challenge study can thus be very valuable to the end user. It can allow them to make important decisions with regard to how the product gets formulated, how it gets packaged, how it is stored, etc. with regard to its ability to inhibit microorganism viability.

In this webinar, we will cover how a laboratory can work with you to successfully design and execute a challenge study. We will cover all aspects of study design from choosing the right target organisms for inoculation, to how the samples will be packaged and handled in the laboratory, and how enumeration information can be gleaned during the course of the product’s shelf life. This will also entail how data are analyzed, how interpretations are made, and how you will be empowered to make decisions regarding the formulation, packaging, and storage of your product. Our aim is for you to walk away from this presentation fully equipped with resources to be able to initiate the process of conducting a challenge study with a contract laboratory and to understand how to interpret the information you get back from the laboratory when the study is complete. Remember, it may be called a challenge study, but that doesn’t mean that it has to be challenging!