Food & Beverages

The primary concern within the food and beverage industry is the quality of the product and the preservation of brand values. Food and beverage currently accounts for half, in terms of both test volumes and market value, of all microbiological testing outside of the human clinical sector.

There has been a significant increase in the number of tests being performed at all stages of food preparation driven by increasing regulations but this trend for increased testing appears to be diminishing with the residual driver being the increasing production volumes driven by disposable incomes and population growth. However, because product is often retained in inventory pending the results of microbiological tests, the focus is currently on rapid test methods. The term “rapid test” tends to refer to detection rather than the holistic test process which includes preparation of the sample, enrichment and then detection.

The total number of tests in 2008 are estimate to be well in excess of 600m split in the following areas:


Bactest offers significant advantages to the industry:

  • Automated process from enrichment to detection
  • No need for highly skilled technicians responding to falling numbers of qualified technicians
  • Instrument meets the increasing trend towards in house testing
  • Potential to inoculate tests at point of taking sample reducing transit times in large or dispersed facilities and minimising potential transfer of bacteria
  • Bactest offers rapid, automated detection allowing early release of inventory

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