Microbiology Testing
Hill Laboratories offers a large range of accredited microbiology testing for different sample types, ranging from raw material to finished product, as well as environmental monitoring by swab.
Hill Laboratories has invested in the latest technologies to provide robust and sensitive testing to help clients ensure that their products and facilities are pathogen-free and comply with food safety requirements. Our methods are MPI and IANZ accredited, meaning local market providers, importers and exporters are able to use our results to meet their regulatory requirements. Our friendly Client Service Managers are just a phone call away and happy to help you understand your sampling and analysis needs.
Hill Laboratories has a broad range of microbiology testing available, including:
Hill Laboratories has an extensive array of pathogen-related tests that are performed using either traditional culture, or molecular based detection. Our turnaround times are industry-leading and can be used with product or environmental swabs alike. Some of our routinely analysed pathogens are listed below, however for a more complete listing of our pathogen testing options and the associated test details, simply call us or complete the form below and we will be happy to help you decide what test is best for your particular needs.
- Listeria species (by PCR)
- Listeria monocytogenes (by PCR)
- Salmonella (by PCR)
- Aerobic plate count (APCs)
- Enterobacteriaceae
- Total coliforms
- Faecal coliforms
- E. Coli
- STEC E. coli ((including O157) by PCR)
- Clostridium perfringens
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Bacillus cereus
- Lactic acid bacteria
- Mesophilic spores
- Yeasts and moulds
- Camplyobacter
Microbiological challenge testing has been and continues to be, a useful tool for determining the ability of a food to support the growth of spoilage organisms or pathogens. Microbiological challenge tests also play an important role in the validation of processes that are intended to deliver some degree of lethality against a target organism or group of target organisms. Quite often, with this latter purpose, there is an associated performance standard that the process must deliver (for example, a 5 log reduction)
Microbiological challenge studies are also useful in determining the potential shelf life of certain refrigerated or ambient-stored foods. The determination of whether challenge studies are appropriate or useful must be made by considering such factors as the likelihood of the product to support growth of spoilage organisms or pathogens, or a knowledge of the previous history of the product.
For more information about Hill Laboratories Challenge testing, simply call us or complete the form below and we will be happy to help you decide what test is best for your particular needs.
Ensuring that shelf life claims are accurate, is a critical component to the manufacture of products that are prone to spoilage. To make this process fast and convenient Hill Laboratories offers a dedicated Shelf Life Test. Simply submit your sample with the appropriate details on our specially designed sample request form and we will take care of the rest.
Ensuring a sample is collected correctly is critically important to the accuracy and relevance of your results. Inappropriate sampling methodology and sample treatment can result in erroneous results and cause lost time, or worse create significant risk within your food safety programme. Hill Laboratories offers dedicated sampler training (Christchurch only) in order to give clients confidence that they are taking water and environmental samples correctly. To find out more simply complete the form below or contact our friendly microbiology Client Service Managers for more details.