What Is Microbial Testing? An Overview of What You Need to Know

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microbial testing

Did you know that life expectancy in the US has increased by more than two-fold over the last two centuries? Historians attribute this to better sanitation, sewage systems, and food and water safety.

Microbial testing, in turn, confirms just how sanitary today’s living conditions are. It also validates and affirms food edibility and water quality. If not for microbial analysis, there would be far more cases of infectious diseases.

What exactly is the purpose of microbial testing, though, and what does it even test for? Who even needs to do these procedures?

We’ll answer all these burning questions in this post, so be sure to read on!

What Is Microbial Testing?

According to experts, there could be at least one trillion microbial species on earth. Of this, scientists have discovered only 0.00001%, which means 99.9999% are still unknown. Microbial testing is one of the methods that allowed them to discover these microbes.

In industries, microbial testing services analyze products, equipment, and processes for microbial presence. In the US, federal law requires many industries and businesses to run these tests. They need to do so to protect the public and the environment from the risks of pathogenic microbes.

What Purpose Does It Serve?

Microbial testing quickly establishes and identifies pathogens in a product. This then allows product manufacturers or handlers to use proper pathogen control methods. As a result, they can be sure their products, such as food, are safe for consumption.

All in all, these tests aim to treat harmful germs before they endanger people and animals. In this way, microbial tests also help in the mitigation of infectious diseases.

Which Industries Require Microbial Analysis?

The agricultural, food, beverage, and water treatment sectors are perfect examples. Healthcare, sanitation, and sewage facilities also require these tests. All these industries rely on microbial testing to detect disease-causing pathogens. (thegamedial.com)

What Microbes Do These Tests Look For?

Microbial tests can detect pathogens like bacteria, viruses, fungi, algae, worms, and protozoans. For example, by law, US public water suppliers must test for E. coli and coliform bacteria. In the food and beverage sector, testing is a must for Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, among many others.

Can Average Consumers Run Microbial Tests, Too?

Yes, you can use a microbial test kit to confirm how much total coliform bacteria your tap water contains. In fact, experts recommend doing this if you have a private water well. This isn’t part of the public system, so it’s up to you to ensure its quality and safety.

You can also use test kits specifically designed to test for bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella.

Microbial Tests Keep People Safe and Healthy

There you have it, your ultimate guide on what microbial testing is and how crucial it is for human safety. We have such tests to thank for safer food, potable water, and more sanitary environments. To top everything off, these procedures help reduce the risks of infectious illnesses.

So, if you’ve ever wondered what’s in your tap water, know that you can run a microbial test on it.

Ready for more health and fitness guides like this? Then please feel free to check out our other wellbeing-related news and blog posts! Check out Cleanawater for more information on oil water separators.

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