An Overview of Bioburden Testing

There are various ways companies have of guaranteeing to the public that their products are safe for use. Some of these are done by the company through their own initiatives, but some are regulated by the FDA and other governing boards. One of these regulations is that bioburden testing be performed to guarantee that products are free from most microbiological organisms. Many of these organisms, such as viruses and the like, must be eliminated before a product can be sold. There are a number of different types of tests, including anaerobic bioburden tests. These specialized processes each focus on a different type of organism and on eliminating it if possible. If it's not possible, the product may not be approved.

What Anaerobic Bioburden Testing Does

Most bioburden testing looks for organisms that can survive in everyday environments such as our refrigerators or medicine cabinets. However, some organisms thrive in other environments, and those are the organisms that anaerobic bioburden tests search for. Some anaerobic creatures can actually survive without oxygen, and some even die when exposed to oxygen. These organisms may be missed by tests that aren't looking specifically for them, thus the use of a specialized testing process that seeks out these harmful viruses and bacteria. By putting all products through this type of test, the FDA and other organizations make certain that even items sterilized and vacuum sealed in air-tight containers are not harboring any sort of harmful items. As one would expect, nearly every medical item is put through this form of testing so that it is truly sterile and will not introduce bacteria or other agents into a patient's body.

Learn more:

• Bacterial Identification
• Clean Room Certification Testing
• Product Sterility Tests