With roughly 150 counts per day, high-resolution images reduce eye strain and increase counting accuracy

Marudai Food Co., Ltd., a Tokyo Stock Exchange prime listed company, is a leading manufacturer of processed meat products. Its subsidiary, Marudai Service Co., Ltd., primarily manages real estate and insurance businesses. In 2022, Marudai Service expanded into the inspection sector after acquiring bacteriological and physicochemical testing operations from Marudai Food. Today, Marudai Service plays a critical role in ensuring food safety by conducting comprehensive inspections on a variety of processed products, raw meats, and prepared foods, both at its head office and across partner companies.

The Bacteriological and Physical Chemistry Inspection Section at Marudai Service oversees all inspections for the entire Marudai Food Group. Daily test requests and samples are sent from Marudai Food headquarters and affiliate companies. We use the BC for all colony counting tests that involve Petri dishes, with roughly 150 inspections done per day. We handle a wide range of samples and inspect not only processed foods but also raw meat and prepared foods.

The first opportunity came when a KEYENCE sales representative visited the Quality Assurance Department at Marudai Food’s head office. They then got in touch with us since we are responsible for inspection practices, and we decided to have a chat. Things moved along smoothly from there, and I remember we quickly decided to go ahead with the system.

We made a thorough comparison of other companies. There are automatic colony counters from various manufacturers. However, none of the systems we have seen so far have been able to produce results that can reliably replace the human eye. Of all of the tools we looked at, only the BC was able to accurately count our samples, which was the major deciding factor for us. KEYENCE products have a great reputation as well so that also helped.

We expected to be able to accurately count the bacterial colonies on our dishes while also capturing a high-resolution image of it to improve our documentation. We’d also like to eventually integrate this with an inspection management system to eliminate the time and potential errors involved with manually inputting data.

Our current system is pretty outdated and slow, so I’m not planning on trying to integrate the BC with that system. However, we are in the process of building a new management system that should work well with it.

There are three main benefits that we felt after introducing the BC.

• Using Automatic Counting to Eliminate Eye Fatigue
  With the BC, bacterial colonies are automatically counted in an instant, eliminating the need for manual counts and reducing eye strain. We’re used to counting colonies and can do so pretty quickly, so the real benefit of this system was more about reducing fatigue in our technicians than it was about speed.
• Archiving Results with High-Resolution Photos
  Another key advantage of the BC system is the ability to capture and preserve high-resolution images of the Petri dish. Since bacteria can discolor or change over time, having access to photos of their original condition during inspection is incredibly valuable. In fact, we occasionally receive requests from clients asking, "What did the bacteria look like in that test?" Thanks to the BC’s high-quality camera, we can capture detailed images and easily respond to these questions by simply sharing the photos.
• Easy to Operate and Use
  Our on-site inspectors also found the BC to be very easy to use, especially since they can just push the "Count" or "Save" buttons on the system. This helped us reduce the time and effort needed for each inspection which can be considerable given the number of samples that we needed to test. We also thought the actual application software was very user friendly as well. Once we were able to test it out and learn it, anyone can pretty much walk up and use the equipment with just minimal training.

Counting bacterial colonies accurately by visual inspection requires a certain amount of knowledge, experience, and skill. It's a task that tends to be specialized, so to speak, but with the BC anyone can overcome that hurdle. Even beginners can get good results once the initial set up is done. While small adjustments might be needed, depending on the product, bacteria type, and other factors, variations in counts can still happen. But unusual results aren't a problem, as an experienced inspector can always step in to review and verify them later.

The support specialists at KEYENCE are courteous and quick to respond, which I greatly appreciate. They are proactive in addressing any issues, and contact me immediately if we need assistance.

When I ask questions—whether they require a quick answer or more in-depth research, such as inquiries about specific functions—they consistently respond promptly, often saying, “We’ll look into it and get back to you.” Their willingness to assist is genuinely helpful.

Additionally, I have shared some suggestions for improving the usability of the BC application. I believe my willingness to provide this feedback stems from their approachable demeanor, which encourages open communication.