As a testing laboratory, we often get asked the question: What should I test for?
Although there are legislations and guidelines that specific industries should adhere to, there are also basic guidelines to help you ensure that your product and facility complies with good hygiene and food handling practices. This will differ, of course, based on your application.
Should you endeavour in exporting, for example, you will have to comply with legislation and standards supplied by the country you are exporting to, as well as the country you are manufacturing in. The main focus for food manufacturers should always be to deliver safe product to the consumer, be it in the country of manufacturing or the country it is exported to. This may mean monitoring of the product throughout the entire process, from farm to processing and packing to storage and distribution.
Depending on the application, chemical and microbiological testing can be required. This guideline will focus on microbiological tests.
