Hach Launches Peel Plate Heterotrophic Plate Count Test

Hach has released a new Peel Plate® Heterotrophic Plate Count (HPC) test that dramatically simplifies heterotrophic plate count testing. No media preparation is required. The user simply peels open the test, pipets the sample, seals the test and incubates.

The heterotrophic plate count, formerly known as the standard plate count, is a procedure for estimating the number of live heterotrophic bacteria in water. This test can provide useful information about water quality and supporting data on the significance of coliform test results. High concentrations of the general bacteria population may hinder the recovery of coliforms.

Traditional testing for HPC requires the tedious process of agar preparation and plating. “Our customers were asking for a simpler way to do HPC testing that didn’t involve agar preparation,“ says Wendy Bretches, Global Product Manager. “The Hach Peel Plate HPC test delivers on this customer request.“

In order to perform the test without agar, the Peel Plate HPC test has all of the media located on the pad in each peel plate. The user is quickly able to perform an HPC test on demand, without preparing an entire batch of agar. Plus, now if the user only needs to perform a few tests, extra media is no longer wasted.

Other benefits to the new Hach Peel Plate HPC test include:

• Peel Plates were designed to conveniently stack, reducing the amount of space needed in the incubator.
• The proprietary indicator in the test reveals red colored colonies that are easy to see and count.
• The test is flexible for direct addition or filtration samples.
• The sample cup allows for direct addition of a 1 mL sample or filter

Hach’s Peel Plate HPC test provides simple and fast HPC testing and eliminates the need for media preparation. For more information, visit www.hach.com.

About Hach
For more than 80 years, Hach has provided innovations to support our customers. Hach gives customers confidence in their water analysis by delivering expert answers, outstanding support, and reliable, easy-to-use solutions. Hach analytical instruments, services, software, and reagents are used to ensure the quality of water in a variety of industries in more than 100 countries globally.