Rapid Microbial Detection
Microorganisms like bacteria, yeast, and mold are invisible threats in food production — and they don’t need much to spread. Whether you're working in dairy, baked goods, meats, or ready-to-eat meals, microbial contamination can lead to spoilage, regulatory non-compliance, or worse — consumer illness.
That’s where microbial testing plays a critical role.
Traditional microbial testing methods can take up to 5 days, require skilled technicians, and delay decision-making across your quality chain.
Rapid microbial detection offers a faster, simpler, and more scalable solution.
Using innovations like ready-to-use count plates and colorimetric enzyme reactions, food safety labs and manufacturers can detect harmful bacteria, yeasts, and molds in as little as 18 to 72 hours — without prepping media or pouring agar.
Why Rapid Microbial Detection?
Traditional microbiological testing methods can take up to 5 days, often requiring manual media prep, trained technicians, and extended incubation. This slows down decision-making and puts your food safety chain at risk. But advancements like ready-to-use count plates have simplified the process dramatically.
PerkinElmer’s MicroFast® Count Plates use enzyme-substrate color reactions to highlight colonies clearly, eliminating the guesswork. In just 3 steps — inoculate, incubate, and interpret — food safety teams can get clear, color-based colony results in as little as 18 hours.
What Can You Detect?
PerkinElmer’s MicroFast® Count Plates are a ready-to-use solution for rapid microbial detection. Each plate uses a patented enzyme-substrate color reaction to make colony growth visually distinct, removing the ambiguity of traditional testing and allowing you to target the exact risk you're monitoring:
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Total Aerobic Bacteria (AC Plate) – overall hygiene check
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Coliforms & E. coli (EC Plate) – fecal contamination indicator
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Yeast & Mold (YM Plate) – spoilage detection
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Staphylococcus aureus (SA Plate) – food poisoning pathogen
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Bacillus cereus, Listeria, and more – advanced detection for targeted risks
Whether you need a rapid screen or confirmation, MicroFast® makes it fast, visual, and reliable.
Built for Real-World Food Safety Workflows
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No need for agar or media prep
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Clear colony colors for fast readouts
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Incubation times from 18 to 72 hours
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AOAC-certified options available
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Validated across global markets including dairy, grain, and meat industries
Explore Our Range of Rapid Microbial Detection Kits
The MicroFast® product line is trusted by labs, QA teams, and food processors worldwide to maintain compliance and protect consumers.
Browse our full range of MicroFast® microbial count plates below to find the right solution for your application. Each one is designed to help labs, processors, and QA teams detect contaminants quickly, reduce risk, and meet HACCP or ISO standards.
