Food safety, which is of indispensable importance for living a healthy life, is one of the basic requirements for protection from diseases. Food safety also stands out as the key to preventing the contamination of food with microorganisms, chemicals or other harmful factors that could harm human health.

Near East University Agri-Vet Food Analysis Laboratory, which was opened last May, continues to meet an important need for public health with its expert academic staff and technical infrastructure, and many bacterial analyzes performed on animal and plant foods.

It is possible to have many food analyzes performed at the Agri-Vet Food Analysis Laboratory!
Agri-Vet Food Analysis Laboratory, established within the Near East University, can analyze many food groups, especially meat, dairy products and water. Analysis requests can come from companies in the relevant sector that aim to offer safe food to their customers. In addition, consumers can individually apply to the Agri-Vet Food Analysis Laboratory for analysis on foods they suspect of food-borne diseases.

Stating that Agri-Vet Food Analysis Laboratory provides a wide range of services in food microbiology analyses, Agri-Vet Food Technologies Laboratory and Probiotic Strain Bank Coordinator Assoc. Prof. Dr. Beyza Hatice Ulusoy said, “We have a strong infrastructure to report food analyzes quickly, although the duration varies depending on the microorganism to be searched and the analysis to be performed.”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ulusoy stated that sometimes some harmful substances are taken into the body with food. She said that they classify these harmful substances as chemical, physical and microbiological hazards. Reminding that food-borne microbiological diseases have caused many diseases throughout history, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ulusoy said, “This problem remains on the agenda today.” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ulusoy, who is also the Deputy Dean of the Near East University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, said, “Not paying attention to food safety can sometimes cause major epidemics. Foods that are not produced under good conditions and are contaminated with all kinds of disease-causing organisms and substances have been held responsible for infections such as bird flu, anthrax, listeriosis and typhoid, which require treatment and in some cases even lead to death if treatment and/or hospitilization is not provided.”

Contributes to companies’ safe food production
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ulusoy said that they detect disease-causing microbes by analyzing food samples and report them to institutions or individuals who request them. Ulusoy said, “We can analyze food samples for Salmonella, Listeria, E. coli, S. aureus bacteria and many other important pathogens, especially those that are included in the European Union Regulations and pose a health risk.”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ulusoy also emphasized that they question what kind of foods conscious individuals consume and that they provide meticulous service to respond to consumers and to support the safe food production of companies operating in the food industry. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Beyza Hatice Ulusoy also said, “In addition to the requests from companies regarding their own products, we also receive requests for microbiological food analysis from many consumers who think they get sick due to various food groups and water. In these cases, we quickly detect and report bacteria that may cause food poisoning in the incoming sample.”