3M Food Safety announced today that its new 3M TM Petrifilm TM Rapid Yeast and Mold Count Plate has received certification (#121301) from the AOAC Research Institute's Performance Tested MethodsSM (PTM) Program.

The 3M TM Petrifilm TM Rapid Yeast and Mold Plate was first introduced in September 2013 as an indicator test that enables the detection of yeasts and molds in as little as 48 hours, faster than conventional agar methods. The AOAC-PTM certification validates 3M's innovative test as equivalent to or better than standard reference methods for enumerating yeast and mold within food products including yogurt, sour cream, almonds, sliced apples, frozen bread dough, ready-made pie, sandwiches, dehydrated soup, fermented salami, and frozen ground beef patties.

The AOAC Research Institute bases certification of methods on independent study results demonstrating that a given method meets the claims expressed in package inserts. Specific studies performed as part of this certification involved robustness, inclusivity/exclusivity, and lot-to-lot/stability as well as comparison tests with FDA BAM and ISO reference methods.

"Easier colony interpretation and faster time to results are benefits that our food processing customers have quickly appreciated and been able to see before their very eyes since we introduced this new product in the fall," said Eric Amann, global marketing manager with 3M Food Safety. "That said, having the affirmation that comes from AOAC Research Institute's rigorous testing program provides another level of meaning and is exceptionally reassuring."

3M Food Safety developed the new plate to expand the 3M Petrifilm technology that has become a worldwide standard due to its reliability and simplicity since being introduced 30 years ago. The technology has been rigorously tested to perform well on both low and high water activity foods, and will be especially useful for processors of grain, fruit and dairy products where yeast and mold control is particularly important. This new plate offers food processors a simplified solution for inoculation along with an easy, consistent way to interpret and enumerate colonies.

For more information, visit www.3M.com/foodsafety/RYMAOACPTM.

AOAC RI, based in Gaithersburg, MD, is a subsidiary of AOAC International, a globally recognized, independent, not-for-profit association founded in 1884. AOAC serves communities of the analytical sciences by providing the tools and processes necessary to develop voluntary consensus standards or technical standards through stakeholder consensus and working groups in which the fit-for-purpose and method performance criteria are established and fully documented. AOAC provides a science-based solution and its Official Methods of Analysis gives defensibility, credibility and confidence in decision-making. AOAC Official Methods are accepted and recognized worldwide.

3M Food Safety is a leader of innovative solutions that help the food and beverage industries optimize the quality and safety of their products to enable consumer protection. At every step, 3M Food Safety provides solutions that help mitigate risk, improve operational efficiencies and impact the bottom line. For more information, visit www.3M.com/foodsafety or follow @3M_FoodSafety on Twitter.

3M captures the spark of new ideas and transforms them into thousands of ingenious products. Its culture of creative collaboration inspires a never-ending stream of powerful technologies that make life better. 3M is the innovation company that never stops inventing. With $30 billion in sales, 3M employs 88,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit www.3M.com or follow @3MNews on Twitter.

3M and Petrifilm are trademarks of 3M.

3M
Mary Kokkinen, 651-733-8806
mckokkinen@mmm.com
or
Kohnstamm Communications
Aaron Berstler, 651-789-1264
aaron@kohnstamm.com