Mary Bandu, PhD

Title

Director of Technical Services

Company

Chestnut Labs

Thermal processes validation for pet food formulations containing inclusions using a dual surrogate – Mary Bandu, PhD, director of technical services for Chestnut Labs, explains how pet food trends are driving brands to increasingly incorporate fruit, vegetable and meat inclusions in product formulations. With these formulations, validating thermal processes against Salmonella spp. can be a challenge due to difficulties in measuring internal temperatures of inclusions and the effects of inclusion moisture on lethality. A dual surrogate approach can provide information: one regarding inactivation of Salmonella spp. in the base formulation and one in the inclusion.
Bandu joined Chestnut Labs in 2011. She earned a bachelor of science in biology from the University of Houston and a doctorate in analytical chemistry from the University of Kansas. Bandu has six years of experience in research microbiology, including extensive experience in microbial pack/challenge studies, thermal process validations and antimicrobial intervention validations. She continues to be involved in the pet food industry by assisting customers with challenge, shelf life and in-plant validation studies. In addition to teaching courses in an industry setting at Chestnut Labs, Bandu was an adjunct professor at Johnson Country Community College and has given numerous presentations at international conferences and meetings.