₦airaland Forum

GAS (CO2) VOLUME TESTING
This is a quality assurance/control test used to determine the gas (CO2) level of a carbonated drinks e.g. beer, carbonated water and soft drinks.
The taste and shelf life of carbonated products are affected by the amount of CO2 dissolved in it.
The volume measurements of gases are not simple as gases are invisible and their volumes depend significantly on both temperature and pressure.
Based on the laws of Henry and Dalton, the concentration of CO2 dissolved in a liquid can be determined in a closed package by measuring the pressure and temperature when a state of equilibrium between the gas and the liquid phase exists.
There are 2 available methods in carrying out this analysis, they are;
1. Manual method: This methods entails the use of Zahm tester to determine only the pressure. The temperature is measured using a thermometer and gas volume is obtained from the Gas (CO2) volume chart.

2. Automatic method: This makes use of an automated systems that measure the pressure, temperature and gas volume altogether. An examples of such is the Steinfurth CO2 gas volume tester which we currently have at FEMVEL Lab. Steinfurth CO2 tester to determines The advantage of this over the manual method is that it is user independent and it gives an accurate result.

Sterilization can be defined as any method or process that removes kill or deactivate all forms of microorganism present on a surface, object or fluid

There are four main methods of sterilization in microbiology:
Physical method
Radiation method
Ultrasonic method
Chemical methods

At Femvel we use the most common physical methods, which includes moist heat e.g autoclaving, dry heat e.g flaming, radiation e.g uv, gas e.g. ozone and filtration sterilization.

1.Autoclaving:
uses pressurized steam to heat the material to be sterilized. There are three types of autoclaving ;
gravity displacement, positive pressure displacement and negative pressure displacement(vacuum,)

2. Dry heating Dry heating has one crucial difference from autoclaving. You’ve guessed it – there’s no water, so protein hydrolysis can’t take place.

Instead, dry heat tends to kill microbes by oxidation of cellular components. This requires more energy than protein hydrolysis so higher temperatures are required for efficient sterilization by dry heat

3. Ethanol
commonly used as a disinfectant, but isopropanol is a better solvent for fat and is probably a better option.

Both solvents work by denaturing proteins through a process that requires water, so they must be diluted to 60–90% in water to

4 radiation

UV, x-rays, and gamma rays are all types of electromagnetic radiation that have profoundly damaging effects on DNA, so make excellent tools for sterilization.

The main difference between them, in terms of their effectiveness, is their penetration.

UV has limited penetration in air so sterilization occurs in only a fairly small area around the lamp. However, it is relatively safe and is quite useful for sterilizing small areas, like laminar flow hood
However it is worthy of note that for an effective micro lab sterilization, the importance of sweeping, dusting and mobbing of the floor with Antiseptics.

Can't be Overemphasised.

*SAMPLING*
The goal of sampling is to test a representative part of given population/material. The integrity of the analysis is at risk if the sampling stage is not handled properly.
*Sampling plan*: This is a quality management instruction that guides the sample collector (analyst) to collect representative data and prevent loss of constituent, contamination, and degradation of material during collection, transportation, and storage.
Sampling can take different forms which include:
*Composite sampling*: This is the combination of two or more samples to make one representative sample.
*Systematic sampling*: This is used when samples are distributed evenly.
*Random sampling*: Samples are chosen randomly resulting in unbiased representation.
*Stratified sampling*: This is the method in which the total population is divided into groups to complete the sampling process.

There are also known sampling techniques that are used when it's impossible to collect a representative sample e.g. Restrictive sampling, Quota sampling, convenience sampling, and judgemental sampling.

Conclusion: Without the appropriate sampling method, lab result may not be truly representative of the population under investigation.

FEMVEL Laboratory Services Limited: Analytical weighing balance for weighing samples.

MOISTURE CONTENT
Moisture content (water content) refers to the amount of water contained in a material i.e sample. It is usually expressed as a percentage of weight.
MOISTURE CONTENT DETERMINATION IN SAMPLES
Moisture content is determined in many ways including thermogravimetric approach i.e. by loss of water in drying when the sample is subjected to heat.
Examples of available methods are; Moisture analyzers, Traditional/ Convectional Method etc.
• Moisture analyzers:- help you to quickly, reliably and effortlessly determine moisture content. E.g NIR and Infrared method.
• Traditional / Convectional method – A longer method that makes use of Oven drying.

Why carrying out Moisture content determination?
• Legal and labeling requirements
Legal limitations regarding the amount of water present in the food are necessary for producing some specific products. For example, there should be less than 14% moisture in flour to prevent spoilage.
• Shelf life of the food or food product
Microbial activities in food materials are favored by high moisture availability. Moisture rich foods are easily susceptible to microbial attack and eventually become rotten and spoiled. Hence, the need for analysis and control of food moisture content.
• Overall food quality measurements
Physical, chemical and sensory properties are affected by the amount of moisture available in food. Moisture content plays a major role in product stability and shelf life.
Femvel Laboratory Services Limited can help you provide analytical support/ solution regarding moisture content in your samples.

Let go with a reliable Laboratory like FEMVEL Laboratory Services (FLS)

The head of NAFDAC said this Tuesday while speaking on measures taken to improve the country's agricultural product exports.

Over 76 per cent of Nigeria’s exported agricultural commodities are reportedly often rejected by the European Union for not meeting required standards, the director-general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mojisola Adeyeye, has said.

Mrs Adeyeye said this on Channels TV Sunrise daily show on Tuesday while speaking on measures taken to improve the country’s agricultural product exports.

“…About 76 per cent of our products are rejected by the EU and it is NAFDAC that is informed using the rapid alert systems that these products have been rejected,” she said.

She lamented that aside from the money lost, protecting the image of the country is extremely important.

“We’ve got to work hard to show that we love this country to the extent that we will not bring disgrace to the country from outside,” she said.

Established in 1993, NAFDAC is the agency responsible for regulating and controlling the manufacture, importation, exportation, advertisement, distribution, sale and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, chemicals and packaged water in Nigeria.

The NAFDAC boss said it “breaks her heart” seeing the country’s agricultural products being rejected because she personally understands the value for money and effort.

“When somebody exports an agricultural product, saves money, gets loans or whatever and that product is rejected, it breaks my heart,” she said.

She said the country’s agricultural commodities are far less acceptable in foreign countries, and that what necessitated that is a sad scenario.

“Just as I am passionate about the local content of manufacturing pharmaceutical products of foods,I am equally passionate about what goes out of our country,” she said.

*Scourge*

Mrs Adeyeye lamented that exporters are boycotting regulatory procedures and that all the food products rejected abroad never went through the scrutiny of both NAFDAC and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS).

“So the people that are exporting are either taking shortcuts or they’re being deceived that their products are okay, just ship it, we will take care of it,” she noted.

Due to lack of adequate storage facilities, she said, some agricultural products developed moulds before shipments, and that such products when bought and used within the country don’t usually have problems.

“But within the country, the storage facility is very poor for Micro-small businesses, and that NAFDAC food survey years back reveals that; there is mould in a lot of our food crops in the country,” she said.

Mould is a soft grey, green, or blue substance that sometimes forms in spots on old food or on damp walls or clothes.

*Ongoing efforts*

Mrs Adeyeye stated that part of what the agency is doing currently is to amplify sensitization on the need for exporters to ensure that their commodities are duly tested by NAFDAC before exporting them.

The regulator’s boss explained that while they are being prudent by saving more money to enhance the purchasing of efficient testing equipment, the government is also supporting them with some money in this regard.

She appealed to all commodity exporters to visit the agency in order to get their products certified before exporting and that they’re no “fees” attached for doing so.

“I am pleading to the whole country, exporters, and MSMEs who want to export to please come to NAFDAC to make sure your products have quality. If it doesn’t, we will advise you on what to do and we won’t get a penny for all these,” she said.

She reiterated that NAFDAC doesn’t get a fee for exporting goods or for testing goods that are being exported, warning that exporters should ignore anyone asking them to boycott the necessary certifying agencies.

“Don’t lose your money,” she added.

She said while putting all these in place, that they are also working with all the relevant agencies such as the NAQS, Customs, National Export Council (NEPC) and the shippers council in this regard.

PPE in theMicrobiology Lab

PPE (hand glove) worn when handling hot materials

THE IMPORTANCE OF USING APPROPRIATE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) DURING MICROBIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS.
In FLS, we avoid any form of cross contamination that would undermine our analytical solutions/efforts. The purpose is to safeguard the integrity of test results and also ensure the safety of FLS laboratory analysts. Therefore, fully kitted (PPE) analysts carry out microbiological analysis to give accurate results.

Femvel Laboratory Services Limited is currently located at km2, Oriokuta, Owode/Ofada road, Koselu Village, Obafemi Owode local government, Ogun state.
This facility is currently occupying a 17.2 x 27.2 square meter land space. The building is adequately designed, taking into consideration health & safety hazards and also control of environmental conditions. The facility is sub-divided into 10 laboratory sections with 2 conference rooms and a pilot production plant.
The facility runs on power supply from 4 sources, that is; solar powered inverters, electric powered inverters and fossil power (generators) in conjunction with public supply (PHCN) thus ensuring steady power supply at all times. This ensures that samples are stored under appropriate conditions and tests are not interrupted as a result of power failure.

The 10 Lab sections include
1. Microbiological Lab:
2. Sensory Lab
3. Water Lab
4. Destructive Lab
5. Micro nutrient Lab
6. Macro nutrient Lab
7. Vet Lab
8. Gas volume Lab
9. Visual Inspection Lab
10. Wet chemistry Lab

The Laboratory facility is also suited for hands on trainings and small-group conferences, hence the 2 conference rooms and the pilot plant. With our team of highly skilled and well-trained personnel at your disposal, wouldn’t you rather work with us?

OUR VISION:- To be the best analytical testing laboratory in Nigeria and also be among the top ranking Labs in the world.
MISSION:- Service with quality and confidence at all times.

Hi there……. Let me introduce to you FEMVEL Laboratory Services, your one stop shop for analytical solutions and Research & Development in the food and livestock feed industries.
We have a wide scope of analytical operations and render services in Water & wastewater analysis, Micro and Macro nutrients analysis, Beverage analysis, Physicochemical analysis, Organoleptic evaluation of food and Microbiological analysis.
We also offer consultancy services in veterinary and livestock management and Food product/process development. We make use of ultramodern equipment and techniques with all our methods referenced to validated international standard procedures.
Quality and reliability are our upmost priority, so expect the best from us always.