Food microbiology and testing

Services

Testing food and reading a certificateTesting verifies that controls are working, and a certificate of analysis is the proof. Knowing how to read one, and what to do with it, matters as much as the test.7 stepsReading a lab resultA number on a lab report means little alone. It depends on the organism, the unit, the food and the guideline it is read against.6 stepsMost probable numberWhen bacteria are too few to count on a plate, or food particles get in the way, the lab estimates the number statistically from how many dilution tubes show growth.5 stepsSampling plans: n, c, m and MA sampling plan turns a handful of results into a decision about a whole lot, using how many units to test and which results to accept.5 stepsWill it grow? Time, temperature, pH and waterWhether a pathogen can grow in a food depends on the food's acidity and available water, the temperature, the oxygen and time. Controlling these is how food is designed and kept safe.5 stepsListeria in ready-to-eat foodListeria monocytogenes grows in the cold, persists in factories and kitchens, and is most dangerous to vulnerable people. Limits for ready-to-eat food depend on whether it can grow in that food.5 steps