The Standard Plate Count of Food Kit includes: 2 Water Blank Bottles (99 mL) Black Pepper 2 Bottles Plate Count Agar 8 Sterile Petri Dishes 10 Sterile Serological Pipets Autoclave Disposal Bag

Beginning - Easy to perform; requires no experience in microbiology.

Although most foods contain microorganisms, the number of microbes must be limited to prevent food spoilage, and pathogens should be eliminated.

Students perform a standard plate count to determine the quality of food. Using black pepper as the food source, students make a series of dilutions and determine the number of microbes per gram of food. Introduces students to serial dilution technique and is an excellent exercise integrating science and math teaching.

Requires 5 days from setup to completion. With teacher instructions and Carolina™ booklet Techniques for Studying Bacteria and Fungi.