Total Aerobic Mesophilic Bacteria Count

The total aerobic mesophilic bacteria count (TAMB) shows the number of bacteria in a food that can grow alive at 30 °C. It does not look for pathogens directly; it is a general indicator of the hygiene of production, storage and the cold chain. A high TAMB suggests there may be a problem in raw material or process hygiene.

The analysis is performed by diluting the sample, plating onto petri dishes and counting colonies after 72 hours of incubation at 30 °C. The result is given in cfu/g (colony forming units).

• Routine monitoring in dairy, meat, ready meals and cold chain products
• Stability by re-testing throughout shelf life
• The result is interpreted against product-specific microbiological criteria

To interpret the result, the product type and the stage of shelf life (production day / expiry) must be known; we recommend stating this in the sample submission form.