Yeast and mould count is a microbiological test that enumerates yeasts and moulds in a food sample using selective culture media, indicating spoilage risk and helping determine shelf life for fruit, honey, dried goods and similar products.
In trade practice
Laboratories incubate samples on dichloran rose bengal agar or similar selective media and count colony-forming units per gram after a defined incubation period. QA teams check results against specification limits at goods-in and before release. Common errors include inadequate sample homogenisation and incorrect incubation temperature, both of which skew counts. For dried fruit and honey, elevated counts often signal moisture ingress or poor storage conditions rather than process failure alone.
In a specification
A product specification typically states a maximum colony-forming unit count per gram, with the test method referenced by standard, and requires the result to appear on the certificate of analysis for each lot.