Glossary

A2LA ISO 17025 Accreditation

Microbac Laboratories is an ISO 17025 Accredited Testing Laboratory Microbac Laboratories, Inc prides itself on providing its customers Quality data.  As such, many of our tests meet ISO 17025 criteria, which are verified and accredited by A2LA, the industry standard in ISO accreditation. What does it mean to be ISO 17025 Accredited? To achieve ISO...

Agrochemical Testing

Agricultural products are grown around the world and to enhance yield, crop protection agents are applied to reduce loss due to insects.   Analysis of the products for pesticides is a requirement by our clients before purchasing products from the growers and used in the next step.  Pesticides have different physical and chemical properties and Microbac...

Antimicrobial Efficacy

What Are Microbes or Microorganisms? To begin with an understanding of “Antimicrobial efficacy”, start by identifying what microbes or microorganisms are:  a category of life forms so tiny that they cannot be seen by the naked eye unless aided by a microscope.  For example, bacteria, protozoa, fungi, spores, and viruses fall within this the larger...

Environmental Monitoring

A substantial number of foodborne illness outbreaks result from poor hygiene practices. Where does the illness come from? Microorganisms can survive in food processing and handling environments. They are generally introduced into the food environment through raw materials, pests, air, water, and employees. Usually, the routine applications of good sanitation practices are able to control these microorganisms...

Legionella

Legionella is a type of bacteria found naturally in freshwater environments, like lakes and streams.  It can become a health concern when it grows and spreads in human-made building water systems.  These water systems may include showerheads, sink faucets, cooling towers, hot tubs, and hot water tanks, and heaters.  This bacteria is the cause of the...

Microbiology Testing

Microbial testing of Food products will provide indicators to the Safety and Quality of your product.  From spoilage to pathogen concerns, testing will provide insight into the Microbial activity occurring in your product.  Additional parameters can also be tested for Microbial presence to ensure that our process is running according to expectations....

Raw Material Testing

Pharmaceutical products are manufactured by combining different materials such as the active ingredient and inactive ingredients.  Each of the ingredients is evaluated prior to use in production. The evaluation includes tests such as identification, assay for potency, assay for impurities, or objectionable organisms.  This testing is referred to as raw material testing. Many of the common ingredients...

Stability Testing

The pharmaceutical industry must show purity, efficacy, potency, safety and integrity of a product through expiry.  Stability challenges aide in this evaluation by placing the product on station in an environmental chamber at known conditions and periodically testing the product.  Microbac is focused on supporting the industry with purity/potency and, to some extent, safety. What Is An Environmental...

Virucidal Efficacy

There are over 8 million forms of life discovered to date on our planet.  People used to think that all living organisms are either animal or plant.  With the development of science, people have come to the realization that life forms are far more diversified.  The current phylogeny puts all living organisms into three domains: Eukaryota (animals,...

Whole Genome Sequencing

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has proven to be very effective at identifying where resident Listeria strains may be found in a food facility. To date, however, it has also been proven to be equally effective at ensuring that only a few food companies want to use the technology. WGS as a Technology For the most part,...