A Comparison Between Manual and Automated Microbial Testing Methods

Webinar Description

Testing food and other products for microbial safety is a critical part of any safety program. Traditionally, this testing is done using manual techniques that can be laborious and time consuming. In addition, the techniques needed to conduct manual testing require considerable skill and experience and can be subject to human error. Consequently, it would be desirable to be able to automate these processes. However, the concern with automated methods is whether they give equivalent results to more traditional manual methods. This requires validation testing to show equivalency between manual and automated methods. This seminar will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various manual and automated methods used in a microbial testing lab. In addition, a case study comparing manual and automated testing results will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:
•The automated solutions available for microbial testing
•The differences and similarities between manual and automated microbial plate inoculation
•The differences and similarities between manual and automated microbial plate colony counting
•The added value of having automation for both inoculation and colony counting

Presenters

  • Blanca Ruiz, Presenter University of Georgia
  • Brady Paul Carter, Moderator Neutec Group