Industrial & Manufacturing

The Industrial and Manufacturing sector spans industries such as consumer goods, chemical and biological processing, and disinfectants and automotive.

Manufactured products are vulnerable to microbial contamination (so-called bioburden) that can compromise product quality and performance.  It is critical to control the ingress of contamination during production to prevent subsequent contamination of products.  Routine microbiological testing is crucial to detecting the level of bioburden and ensuring that manufactured products adhere to microbial specifications.   Testing also ensures that manufactured products are free of objectionable microorganisms such as Staphylococcus aureus and Candida spp. that may pose a hazard to end-user health.

Products such as paints or polymer dispersions can also be prone to spoilage by microorganisms.  Water-based paints, for example, can host microbial growth during production or storage, leading to spoilage, odour, or reduced shelf life.  Testing of product formulation constituents and finished product ensures these products remain uncontaminated and retain their intended performance and shelf life.  The source of microbiological contamination can also be the manufacturing facility itself, so a microbiological audit of production and packing facilities to ensure good manufacturing practices are being followed is often prudent.

The increased use of environmentally friendly products with readily biodegradable formulations is desirable to ensure minimal environmental impact, but this also makes these formulations especially prone to microbial growth and necessitates the careful selection and validation of effective preservatives.  Preservatives, which inhibit microbial growth in various applications, also require challenge testing (preservative efficacy tests) testing to confirm their ability to inhibit and detect any emerging microbial resistance.

The use of effective disinfectants is also essential to the control of microbiological contamination during manufacturing processes.  To demonstrate the effectiveness of disinfectants used under appropriate conditions, effective disinfectant selection efficacy studies or validation must be conducted.  Disinfection tests are selected based on the area of application and different requirements are required for sectors such as industrial, domestic & institutional sectors.

Microbiological testing is also critical in managing microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC). By-products of microbial activity can degrade protective coatings applied to machinery, pipelines or storage tanks, jeopardising infrastructure integrity.  By monitoring for microbial contamination and microbiologically influenced corrosion, industries can take timely action to protect assets and ensure continuous operation.

As sustainability initiatives introduce bio-based materials, microbiological testing of industrial products will become even more vital to maintain quality, safety, and productivity in a rapidly evolving manufacturing landscape.