Define Methods for Determining the Amount of Microbes in Food?
Following methods can be employed for determining the amount of microbes in the food samples and analyzing their microbiological quality:
1. Standard or Total Plate Counts (SPC/TPC)
2. The Most Probable Number (MPN)
3. Dye Reduction Techniques, and
4. Direct Microscopic Counts (DMC)
We have already learnt about a few of these methods earlier in this manual. First three methods give the viable count, whereas, total number (viable and dead cells) is obtained from DMC.