Merck reveals smaller agar plates for water/beverage testing

Merck has released ready-to-use agar plates for quality control of water and filterable beverages.

ReadyPlate 55 agar plates have a 55mm diameter which allows easier storage and incubation than traditional 90mm plates and enables better stacking and transport.

They are available in a variety of certified kits which combine agar plates with matching membranes for testing.

Merck said in the beverage process there is a need for microbial management to produce quality drinks without compromising flavour, consistency or safety.

The plates’ lockable, stackable format reduces the risk of cross contamination during handling, transport and incubation.

High fill volume makes positioning and removal of membranes to and from the agar plate easy, reducing the risk of handling mistakes and false positives.

ReadyPlate 55 plates are manufactured in an ISO 9001 manufacturing facility, released by an ISO 17025 accredited QC lab and are in compliance with EN ISO 11133:2014 as well as individual culture media standards.

The plates can be stored at room temperature and have a six-to-nine-month shelf life.