Veriflow ACB same-day Alicyclobacillus test for fruit juice and concentrates

Alicyclobacillus (ACB) species are bacteria which are resistant to low pH and pasteurisation. They produce off-flavour and aroma compounds that spoil juice products.

Current methods for ACB testing are laborious and require over seven days to yield definitive results. These limitations make it impossible to address these spoilage organisms in real time and can result in facility contamination, product holds or recall of tainted products.

Invisible Sentinel, a molecular solutions company, has partnered with Refresco Gerber, a bottler of juice and soft drinks, to produce and validate a method for rapid detection of ACB.

The test, Veriflow ACB, uses novel PCR technology to provide a simple method which yields qualitative and quantitative results in less than 3 h. The test requires a minimal amount of equipment and hands-on time, meaning the test can be easily used on site.