standard plate count

Standard Plate Count (SPC) is a method used to estimate the number of viable bacteria in a sample, such as food or water. It involves diluting the sample, spreading it on a nutrient-rich agar plate, and incubating it to allow bacteria to grow into visible colonies. After incubation, the colonies are counted to determine the density of bacteria per unit of volume. This process helps assess the safety and quality of products by indicating their microbiological load, ultimately guiding food safety regulations and ensuring public health standards are met.