Yeast and mold count

Foodstuffs are products that must be processed, stored and transported in accordance with certain rules. If these rules are not followed, food spoilage occurs. There are many reasons for food spoilage that anyone can witness even at home. The most common and known are molds and yeasts.

Molds by definition; They are multicellular fungi that form mycelium, while yeasts are unicellular and generally do not form mycelium. Yeast and mold analysis in foods is based on the principle of preventing the growth of bacteria in foods and isolating and counting yeast and mold.  

Some yeasts and molds are used in the production of foods such as bread, beer, wine, and cheese, while others cause spoilage. Yeasts and molds can easily grow in a very wide pH range (pH 2-9), in a storage range of 10–35 ^° C, and at water activity levels of 0,85 and above. They also thrive in environments with high salt and sugar concentrations.

Yeast and molds that cause deterioration cause bitter taste and bad odor in foods as well as undesirable structural defects and gas formation. Some yeast and mold types can develop on the foodstuff and cause poisoning due to the toxic substances they secrete.

Yeast and mold is a quality criterion especially for products that are marketed outdoors, exposed to open air before packaging, that may be contaminated by the packaging material, and do not undergo any heat treatment other than washing and cooling / freezing.  

While mold is very high in products that are in contact with the soil such as spices that are ground without washing, yeast is more common in sugary products.

Mold and yeast are sought in food products and we can have an idea about production, business hygiene, personnel hygiene and working environment according to the result.  

"Yeast and Mold Count" analysis in our internationally accredited laboratories; We do it in food, feed, water and environmental samples.

Relevant standards;

• 3M Petrifilm Rapid Yeast and Mold Count Plates AFNOR 3M 01 / 13-07 / 14
• ISO 21527-1 Microbiology of food and animal feeds - Horizontal method for yeast and mold count - Part 1: Colony count technique for products with water activity greater than 0,95
• ISO 21527-2 Food and animal feed microbiology - Horizontal method for counting yeast and molds - Part 2: Colony counting technique for products with water activity less than or equal to 0,95