3M aerobic bacteria test backed by AOAC

It detects and enumerates aerobic bacteria counts in 24 hours for most food matrices and environmental samples.

The 3M Petrifilm Rapid Aerobic Count Plate uses proprietary indicator technology to help count aerobic bacteria colonies.

3M introduced the plate at the start of this year as an indicator test alternative to conventional agar methods.

It received certification from the AOAC Performance Tested Methods program prior to launch.

The firm said food and beverage processors are under pressure to make time-sensitive decisions, so the ability to detect and count aerobic bacteria is critical.

Jason Semerad, global marketing manager at 3M Food Safety, said it can save food and beverage processing plants time and capital so their brand equity is protected. 

“We are proud to be taking yet another innovative step forward with the seventeenth addition to the 3M Petrifilm Plate portfolio and our tenth product offering that delivers results in 24-hours or less.”​

The approval process for becoming an Official Method involves review by multiple independent laboratories and an expert panel.

The full study for the AOAC-OMA validation will be published in the Journal of AOAC INTERNATIONAL.