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Microbiology Test

Microbiological Test

Fields of Testing

Fields of Testing

Test Methods

1

E. coli

AOAC 991.14 / AOAC 966.24 / BAM 4

2

E. coli / Total Coliform Counts

AOAC 991.14 / AOAC 998.08 / AOAC 966.24 / BAM 4

3

Salmonella Sp.

BAM 5

4

Listeria Sp. / Listeria monocytogenes

BAM 10

5

Staphylococcus aureus

BAM 12

6

Aerobic Plate Counts

AOAC 986.32 / BAM 3

7

Yeast and Mold

AOAC 997.02 / BAM 18

8

Bacillus cereus

BAM 14

What Is the Purpose of Microbiological Testing

The purpose of microbiological testing should be to identify and restrict harmful microorganisms, which can spoil foods, and ensure safety from foodborne diseases. This means that the responsible ones (or the quality assurance team in a facility) must establish a thorough testing procedure to identify all the possible threats, which may lead to one of the two results: pathogen not detected or detected. Before performing a microbiology test, the analyst should know the necessity, purpose, and primary expectations underlying the test along with the predicted certainty of identifying an issue, and possible results that may come out from the test. Accordingly, this will help understand the sampling procedure to be performed, the type of samples to be collected, the particular test method to be used, and appropriate actions to be taken before and after the test results are attained.

Microbiological Testing of Food

Microbiological testing of food is the examination of the microscopic organisms in food. These organisms could be single cell, multiple cells or without cell. Microbiology includes various sub-disciplines like Virology, Mycology, Parasitology and Bacteriology. Microorganisms play an important role in our surroundings as all humans, plants & animals and probably they are the largest mass of living materials on our earth. These diversified living organisms can grow in extreme conditions where no other living organisms can survive. They can grow in a temperature like at boiling points and can similarly grow and survive in extreme freezing conditions like -20 degrees & -30 degrees. Microbial pathogens, such as Bacteria & Archaea known as prokaryotes and various types of Fungi, protozoa etc. which are called eukaryotes need to be taken care well as this may be harmful to some extent.

As per the latest Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, every food product has to be tested & approved before it is put up for sale in the market. There is a direct relationship between microorganisms and diseases as these harmful living organisms are responsible for taking many lives with diseases like diphtheria, pneumonia, typhoid, amoebiasis, botulism, cholera, dysentery etc. The microorganisms can be found in various foods & beverages and they can be harmful if they enter into a human body. Some of these microorganisms could prove to be resistant to one or more types of antibiotics. Our food testing laboratory has been offering Food Microbiology testing services to the food, hospitality and retail industry for numerous years.