A Code of Practice for Microbiology Laboratories
Handling Food, Drink and Associated Samples
(third edition)

Ensure that microbiological samples are handled safely, efficiently and in ways that do not compromise the validity of analytical data.

The guide gives advice on good laboratory practice to assist in the consistent achievement of sound, reliable and accurate microbiological results, and to give considerable help to any food microbiology laboratory moving towards third party accreditation.

Written by industry microbiologists and extensively revised and updated to reflect current best practices, this guide covers all sample handling procedures carried out during routine microbiological testing of foods, from sample preparation and basic microbiological techniques, through to safe and effective decontamination of waste materials. The document also incorporates guidance on media preparation and sterilisation. Recommendations on frequency of monitoring and calibration of critical equipment are included, as are examples of records that should be kept by laboratories. More specifically, the guide addresses:

• Safety and Hygiene - covering laboratory facilities, personal hygiene and safety, microbiological practices, and sending cultures by post.
• Laboratory Management - includes records, traceability, laboratory quality assurance, and laboratory information management systems (LIMS).
• Equipment - from autoclaves and automatic pipetters through microscopes and pH meters, to water purification equipment.
• Media Preparation - including, for example, reconstitution of media, preparation and sterilisation, plate-pouring, storage, troubleshooting and record keeping.
• Procedures - from sample mixing and dilution to inoculation controls and incubation.
• Results - includes counting, calculation and expression of results and the most probable number method.

Softcover - 103 pages