Microbiology

Air Testing
Container Rinse Counts
Food and Dairy Testing
Hydrocarbon Degrading Bacteria
Microbial Identifications
Package Testing
Pathogen Testing
Sewage Sludge Fecal Coliforms and Total Solids
Special Analysis
Surface Testing
Water and Wastewater Testing
Packaging Instructions
Types of Industries Served
Inquiries

Sherry Laboratories promotes the fact that it tests nearly "Everything Under the Sun." Sherry Laboratories' Microbiology Department is a big reason for that assertion. The department's capabilities range from air to food, from water to dairy products, and from swimming pools to hydrocarbon degrading bacteria. The laboratory is certified by the Indiana State Department for Drinking Water Testing and FSIS certified for egg salmonella.

All methods used are from the Environmental Protection Agency, Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, Standard Methods for the Examination of Dairy Products, the Food and Drug Administration’s Bacterial Analytical Manual, the Association of Official Analytical Chemists Methodology, United States Pharmacopoeia, Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Food from the American Public Health Association, the United States Dairy Association, the Center for Disease Control, the Association for Standard Testing Methods, and the latest available research information.

In addition to the items listed below, Sherry Laboratories can do a variety of custom analyses. If you don't see the analysis you require, please call 1-800-874-3563.

Air Testing

We can test samples you collect or we can perform the sampling. There will be a fee for us to collect the samples.

• Bacterial counts/m3
• Fungal counts/m3
• Legionella (qualitative)
• Other specific bacteria or fungi
• Anderson N6 rental
  

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Container Rinse Counts

• Bacterial Count
• Fungal Counts
• Specific Bacteria or Fungi
• Sterility

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Food and Dairy Testing

• Acid Producing Microorganisms
• Aerobic (Heterotrophic) Bacteria
• Anaerobic Bacteria
• Antibiotic Screening (Beta Lactams)
• Bacillus Spp.
• Bacterial Identification
• Campylobacter Spp. (Qualitative)
• Clostridium Spp. (Qualitative)
• Coliforms
• Coliforms and E. Coli
• E. Coli 0157
• Fecal Coliforms (MPN)
• Fungal Toxins
• Halophilic Microorganisms
• Hydrogen Sulfide Producing Bacteria
• Lactic Acid Bacteria
• Lipolytic Microorganisms
• Listeria Spp. (Qualitative)
• Mold Identification
• Meat Speciation
• Osmiophilic Microorganisms
  
• Parasites
• Proteolytic Microorganisms
• Pseudomonas Spp.
• Psychotropic Microorganisms
• Salmonella Spp. (Qualitative)
• Shigella Spp. (Qualitative)
• Spore Forming Bacteria
• Staphylococci (Coagulase + and -)
• Staphylococcus and Bacillus Enterotoxins
• Streptococci
• Thermoduric Microorganisms
• Thermophilic Microorganisms
• Vibrio Spp.
• Yeast Identification
• Yeast and Mold (Fungi)
• Yersinia Spp. (Qualitative)

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Hydrocarbon Degrading Bacteria

This includes a plate count to determine the total bacterial count, a utilization study of the bacteria present with a standard set of hydrocarbons or those specified by the customer, and identification of the two most prominent hydrocarbon degrading bacteria.

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Microbial Identifications

• Bacterial Identifications - Performed using the Biolog™ system. This system uses a 96-well microplate and an eliza plate reader. Optical densities are compared using the Biolog™ software while a statistical identification is obtained.
  • Bacterial Identification
  • Capsule Stain
  • Flagellar Stain
  • Fluorescent Stain
  • Gram Stain
  • Individual Biochemical Tests
    
    
• Mold Identifications - Performed using microscopic and macroscopic morphological characteristics.
• Yeast Identifications - Performed using the Biolog™ system.
  • Capsule Stain
  • Individual Carbohydrate Assimilations
  • Yeast Identification

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Package Testing

• Swimming Pools - This includes a heterotrophic plate count and a P/A total coliform
• Food Monitoring
  • Aerobic Plate Count
  • Coliforms
  • E. Coli
  • Mold
  • Staphylococci
  • Yeast

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Pathogen Testing

• Food Pathogen Screen
  • Aerobic Bacteria
  • Anaerobic Bacteria
  • Bacillus Spp.
  • Campylobacter Spp.
  • Clostridium Spp.
  • Coliforms
  • E. Coli
  • E. Coli 0157
  • Listeria Spp.
  • Mold
  • Pseudomonas Spp.
  • Salmonella Spp.
  • Shigella Spp.
  • Staphylococci
  • Yersinia Spp.
  • Yeast
• Water Pathogen Screen
  • Aerobic Bacteria
    
  • Anaerobic Bacteria
  • Campylobacter Spp.
  • Clostridium Spp.
  • Coliforms
  • E. coli
  • E. coli 0157
  • Enterococci
  • Klebsiella Spp.
  • Legionella Spp.
  • Listeria Spp.
  • Mold
  • Pseudomonas Spp.
  • Salmonella Spp.
  • Shigella Spp.
  • Staphylococci
  • Streptococci
  • Vibrio Spp.
  • Yeast
  • Yersinia Spp.
    

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Sewage Sludge Fecal Coliforms and Total Solids

This includes fecal coliform dry weight results and the geometric mean of seven samples.

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Special Analysis

Please call us with your individual needs and we will be glad to develop a quotation for your specific requirements.

• ASTM Bacterial and Fungal Challenge Testing
• Bacterial and Fungal Challenge Testing
• Bacterial Utilization Studies
• Direct Microscopic Examinations
• Disinfectant Residue Testing
• Inhibitory Substance Testing
• Preservative Efficacy
• Shelf Life Studies
• Sterility Testing
• Toxicity Studies
  

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Surface Testing

This is conducted with swabs, sponges or contact plates. Sherry Laboratories provides a variety of collection supplies at no additional cost.

• Bacterial Counts/cm2
• Coliform Counts/cm2
• E. Coli/cm2
• Fungal Counts/cm2
• Listeria (Qualitative)
• Salmonella (Qualitative)
• Salmonella Counts/cm2
• Staphylococci Counts/cm2
  

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Water and Wastewater Testing

• Membrane Filter Tests
  • Aerobic (Heterotrophic) Bacteria
  • Anaerobic Bacteria
  • Coliforms
  • E. coli
  • Enterococci
  • Fecal Coliforms
  • Fecal Streptococci
  • Klebsiella
  • Salmonella
  • Staphylococci
  • Vibrio Cholera
  • Yeast and Mold (Fungi)
• Other Water Tests
• Actinomycetes (Sludge)
• Actinomycetes (Water)
• Aerobic (Heterotrophic) Bacteria
• Algae (Presence/Absence)
• Algal Identification
• Anaerobic Bacteria
• Aquatic Hyphomycetes
• Bacterial Identification
• Campylobacter Spp. (Qualitative)
• Campylobacter Spp. (Quantitative)
• Clostridium Spp. (Qualitative)
• Coliforms and E. coli (MPN)
• Coliforms and E. coli (PA)
• Coliphage
• Fecal Coliforms (Sludge)
• Helminth Ova
• Hydrocarbon Degrading Bacteria (P/A)
• Hydrocarbon Degrading Bacteria Package
• Hydrogen Sulfide Producing Bacteria
• Iron Bacteria (P/A)
• Iron Bacteria Identification
• Legionella Spp. (Qualitative)
• Listeria Spp. (Qualitative)
• Mold Identification
• Nitrate Reducing Bacteria
• Parasites
• Protozoa
• Pseudomonas Spp.
• Salmonella Spp. (Qualitative)
• Salmonella Spp. (Sludge)
• Shigella Spp. (Qualitative)
• Slime Forming Bacteria
• Spore Forming Bacteria
• Staphylococci (coagulase + and -)
• Streptococci
• Sulfur Bacteria (P/A)
• Sulfur Bacteria Identification
• Thermophilic Bacteria
• Yeast Identification
• Yeast and Mold (Fungi)
• Yersinia Spp.
• Zoosporic Fungi
  

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For our customers who do their own sample collection

We can supply a variety of collection supplies for your Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) program at no additional cost. Please call us for details. The items include:

• 100cm2 Templates
• Bird Rinse Kits
• Carcass Sampling Kits
• Contact Plates with a variety of medias
• Containers - bags, bottles, vials, and specimen containers
• Dippers - bottles on the end of a handle
• Drag Swabs - a square on a string for drag sampling
• Dry Swabs
• Media Swabs - with media specific to the microbe analysis
• Petri Dishes with a variety of medias
• Sponges in Bags - both dehydrated and pre-hydrated

Samples should be collected and stored in a sterile container and then refrigerated during transit. Non-sterile containers may produce erroneous results.

Microbial samples must arrive at the laboratory within 24 hours of collection.

Dry goods should be kept dry during transit and held at their normal stable temperature.

Please follow good sampling techniques, as your results can be influenced by improper sampling. If you have questions about sample collection, please contact us.

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Types of Industries Served

• Dairy
• Drinking Water
• Egg Producers
• Environmental
• Food Importers
• Food Processors
• Food Wholesalers
• Pet Food Manufacturers
• Pharmaceutical
• Remediation Contractors
• Retail Food Chains
• Wastewater
  

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Inquiries

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