Beverage Testing for Aerobic Plate Count with a Mail-to-lab Test Kit
Aerobic plate count — also known as standard plate count (SPC) or total plate count (TPC) — is a common indicator of microbial load in beverage and liquid food products including kombucha and juice.
Whether you’re a small-scale producer or just concerned about shelf stability, testing for aerobic bacteria is a crucial quality control (QC) step. Find out why SimpleLab’s Aerobic Plate Count Beverage Test kit simplifies your QC needs.
How Do You Test the Aerobic Plate Count?
This Aerobic Plate Count Beverage Test Kit is a mail-in solution that includes everything you need to measure the total number of colony-forming units (CFU) of aerobic bacteria in a sample.
While DIY options exist, they can’t provide the precision, detection limits, or certified reporting required for food safety compliance.
Importantly, DIY kits can use any random agar (the jelly-like substance made from seaweed that's commonly used to grow bacteria in labs), whereas the laboratory will pick the correct agar based upon the requested analysis.
Key Features:
- A sterile sampling vial
- Prepaid overnight shipping
- Chain-of-custody documentation
- Analysis by a certified lab using certified analytical methods
Just collect your sample, drop it in the mail, and receive results digitally in about 5 business days.
Who Is This Test Right for?
This test is ideal for beverage makers, liquid food producers, and anyone needing a baseline microbial reading for a drinkable product. It’s especially useful for those working with non-pasteurized beverages. Whether you're testing kombucha, cold brew, vegetable juice, or bottled water:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is aerobic plate count used for?
It’s used to evaluate the population of aerobic (oxygen-loving) bacteria in a sample. High counts may indicate poor sanitation or reduced shelf life.
Can I use test strips instead?
No. Test strips or DIY culturing methods are not accurate for measuring aerobic plate count. Only certified lab testing provides reliable CFU counts.
Is this test suitable for water?
This specific kit is intended for beverages and other liquid food products, including bottled water. It is not for tap water.
How long does it take to get results?
Once the sample is received at the lab (overnight shipping included), results are typically ready in 5 business days.
Questions? Contact Us
SimpleLab makes certified microbial testing easy, fast, and accessible.
If you have any questions about testing with SimpleLab, reach out to our customer support team any time.
The SimpleLab Standard
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Proven Reliability: SimpleLab partners with North America's leading analytical institutions—including Eurofins, Pace Analytical, SGS, and Microbac—each with their own rigorous quality control protocols to ensure top-tier accuracy. Our certified labs are located across all 50 states, making logistics a breeze.
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Simplified Sampling: Every kit includes professional-grade materials, clear instructions, automated chain of custody, and free return shipping— making accurate testing effortless.
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Seamless Experience: We combine human support with automated logistics to help make complex lab analyses accessible to all. From our user interface to our lab reports, we ensure a time-saving, frustration-free process.
Sam brings expertise in water chemistry and environmental engineering to support scientific standards at SimpleLab. She earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Environmental Engineering and has experience in environmental analytical chemistry research.
About SimpleLab
SimpleLab combines world-class laboratory science with customer service to ensure testing your environment is simple, fast and factual. Everything we do is driven by data and supported by a team of experts ready to answer your questions.
