Milk analyzer BactoScan™ 5

bacteriabenchtopoptical

Overview BactoScan™ 5 is a 5th generation milk bacteria analyzer designed to analyze bacteria in raw milk efficiently, safely and with a low cost of ownership. It delivers improved operational efficiency, higher uptime and flexible capacity for large-scale raw milk testing, adapted for dairy laboratories and milk collection centers.

Key benefits

• Safe and efficient milk bacteria analysis with reduced operator steps and less handling of reagents
• Low cost of ownership through reduced reagent consumption, reduced waste and fewer maintenance tasks
• High-throughput capacity with scalable options to meet different laboratory demands
• Automatic enzyme dosing and simplified reagent concept to minimize mixing and handling
• Reduced human error due to automated workflows and automatic cleaning between samples
• Connected instrument management via FOSS IQX™ for device management, reporting, backup and remote access to results

Sample type

• Raw cow milk
• Raw goat milk
• Raw sheep milk
• Raw buffalo milk

Parameters

• Individual Bacteria Count (IBC/ml)

Throughput & performance

• Capacity options: 65, 100, 130, 150, 200 samples/hour (flexible capacity)
• Analysis time: approximately 9 minutes to the first analysis result
• Sample intake: approximately 4.5 ml per analysis
• Sample temperature during analysis: 2–4 °C for non-preserved raw milk; 2–42 °C for Azidiol preserved samples
• Working factor: Standard 300 (optional: 95, 600 and 1200)

Accuracy in 4 steps (workflow)

• 1) Sample is stirred, pumped into a tube and sub-sampled
• 2) Sample is dosed into an incubation wheel with staining solution and enzyme for staining and homogenization
• 3) Stained sample passes through the flow cell and is excited by a green laser; lens and optical filter detect signals from passing bacteria
• 4) Results are sent to LIMS via FossIntegrator™; automatic cleaning is initiated between samples to ensure consistent results

Operational & sustainability features

• Simplified ready-to-use reagent kits reduce preparation steps and speed up start-up
• Automatic enzyme dosing eliminates manual reagent calculations and mixing
• Reagent concept reduces reagent use by approximately 15–20%
• No reagent use during standby mode and reduced rinse/sheath consumption during analysis
• Less waste through automatic dosing and rehydration kits; eliminates use of harsh chemicals such as boric acid

Compliance & methods

• Reference/anchor method: Standard Plate Count (SPC) CFU/ml (ISO 21187 | IDF 196: 2021; ISO 4833-1:2013; ISO 16297 | IDF 161: 2020)
• MicroVal approved for total bacterial count in raw cow, sheep and goat milk (Certificate No. 2024LR133)
• FDA/NCIMS approved; compliant with ISO/IDF and AOAC standards

Technical specifications

• Measuring range (limit of detection): 1,000 - 150,000,000 IBC/ml
• Performance range: 10,000 - 20,000,000 IBC/ml
• Repeatability (Sy,x typical values by range, IBC x 1000/ml): 10–50 → s_r 0.07 (typical 0.06); 51–200 → s_r 0.05 (typical 0.04); >200 → s_r 0.04 (typical 0.02); entire range typical s_r ≈ 0.05
• Reproducibility (between BactoScan 5 instruments) by range: 10–50 → s_R 0.11 (typical 0.08); 51–200 → s_R 0.07 (typical 0.06); >200 → s_R 0.06 (typical 0.04)
• Carry-over effect: < 0.5% (uncompensated)
• Analysis capacity: selectable modes delivering 65, 100, 130, 150 or 200 samples/hour
• Working factor options: Standard 300; optional 95, 600 and 1200
• Accuracy: Typical Sy,x < 0.25 log10 units across the entire measuring range
• Application data: Analysis time ~9 minutes to first result; sample intake ~4.5 ml; suitable for raw milk of normal composition, unpreserved or preserved with Azidiol
• Instrument management: Networking software IQX™ for device management, monitoring, backup and reporting