Moisture Analyzer for Compost Testing

The use of compost is increasing with the growth in demand for organically grown food.  Composting however has a dark underbelly.  If done improperly it can result in the retention of pathogenic bacteria harmful to humans.  This in turn will (and has) result in food borne illnesses which ironically is what the organic food movement is trying to avoid.  In the past, researchers have used ammonia supplementation and irradiation to reduce pathogenic activity.  This study looks at the use of bacteriophages in reducing Salmonella with successful results.  Within 4 hours of treatment a ‘2-log-unit reduction of Salmonella’ was observed. As usual we’d like to note the use of the moisture analyzer in measuring moisture in samples.

For further information visit www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

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