Unlike traditional agar methods, 3M™ Petrifilm™ Plates are ready to use — no preparation required. Each slim pack offers consistent, uniform testing media. Just open it up and get right to work. Free up time and work more efficiently, without sacrificing quality or accuracy.
Fast and accurate indicator organism testing, without the preparation.
Heating, stirring, pouring, waiting … who’s got time for that?
It’s time to ditch the painful agar preparation stage. 3M Petrifilm gives you a wide choice of indicator organism testing plates that are ready to go, right out of the pack. They require less energy and water than traditional methods. And the flat, compact design uses less storage than bulky plates.
3M Petrifilm Plates are designed to save you time, effort and space! These ready to use, alternatives to agar require no preparation and their compact size means they take up less storage and incubator space. Plus, when combined with the 3M™ Petrifilm™ Plate Reader Advanced, you can increase capacity with minimum effort with accurate plate counts in just 6 seconds or less.
Results you can trust.
3M Petrifilm Plates allow you to standardise your testing and they are easy to use, supporting consistent use between technicians. That means accurate, repeatable results, time after time. And the peace of mind for you.
3M Petrifilm Plates have been internationally recognised and validated for their methods and innovation. Third-party validations confirm that the method has been scrutinised to prove that it is reliable, repeatable and has performed equal to or better than the reference method to which it was compared.
Sustainability is an increasingly important goal for companies all over the world and 3M has solutions that can help companies meet sustainability targets whilst supporting their business goals. A prime example is 3M Petrifilm plates that help customers reduce waste, cut greenhouse gas emissions, save energy and consume less water, while helping to streamline, standardise and simplify microbial indicator testing.
The long-term financial success of your company is ultimately built on the productivity and efficiency of your processes and employees.
With significant productivity and performance advantages over traditional agar plates, it’s no wonder that 3M Petrifilm Plates have become a standard method in microbial indicator testing for companies all over the world.
Switching from agar to 3M Petrifilm count plates can reduce labour costs spent on this testing process by an average of 45%, allowing your team to focus their time on other activities.
A 3M study conducted with 292 food plants demonstrated an 80% increase in technician productivity (tests per hour) saving companies an average of 3.7 hours per day of technician time.
With some 3M Petrifilm count plates delivering results in up to half the time of traditional agar methods, plus, with the time saved not having to prepare agar, you can keep your food products moving and avoid unnecessary hold time.
Shelf-stable and nearly as thin as paper, 3M Petrifilm count plates take up to 85% less of your valuable counter and storage space.
Rapid yeast and mold count in as fast as 60-72 hours.
3M™ Petrifilm™ Rapid Yeast & Mold Count Plate
Rapid coliform count in as fast as 14 hours
3M™ Petrifilm™ Rapid Coliform Count Plate
Rapid aerobic count in as fast as 24 hours
3M™ Petrifilm™ Rapid Aerobic Count Plate
Rapid E.coli / Coliform count in as fast as 18-24 hours.
3M™ Petrifilm™ Rapid E.coli / Coliform Count Plate
Our range of 3M Petrifilm products is constantly under development to provide the plates you need for the testing your lab does every day.
Aerobic count in as fast as 48-72 hours
3M™ Petrifilm™ Aerobic Count Plate
Entero-bacteriaceae count in 24 hours
3M™ Petrifilm™ Enterobacteriaceae Count Plate
E.coli / Coliform count in as fast as 24-48 hours
3M™ Petrifilm™ E.coli / Coliform Count Plate
Yeast and mold count in 3-5 days
3M™ Petrifilm™ Yeast and Mold Count Plate
Coliform count in 24 hours
3M™ Petrifilm™ Coliform Count Plate
Select E.coli count in 24 hours
3M™ Petrifilm™ Select E.coli Count Plate
Staph express count in as little as 24-27 hours
3M™ Petrifilm™ Staph Express Count Plate
Lactic acid bacteria count in as fast as 48 hours
3M™ Petrifilm™ Lactic Acid Bacteria Count Plate
Listeria count in as fast as 28 hours
3M™ Petrifilm™ Environmental Listeria Count Plate
High-sensitivity Coliform count in 24 hours
3M™ Petrifilm™ High-sensitivity Coliform Count Plate
Heterotrophic count in 48-68 hours
3M™ Petrifilm™ Aqua Heterotrophic Count Plate
Drive speed and efficiency in your lab. The new 3M™ Petrifilm™ Plate Reader Advanced is designed to advance your lab's productivity and testing capacity. It will enumerate plates in 6 seconds or less, quickly and accurately, with less risk of human error. And smart software automatically calculates counts and manages data for you.
Ready, fast, easy. Modern food testing in three simple steps.
Eliminate media preparation — plates are ready to inoculate.
A compact incubator is all you need.
Indicator dyes facilitate colony counting. Use the 3M™ Petrifilm™ Plate Reader Advanced to automate your counting process and work more efficiently.
Are you still using agar dishes for microbial indicator testing? If so, you’re missing a big opportunity to not only boost your lab’s productivity and accuracy, but also help meet your company’s sustainability goals. 3M Petrifilm Plates can reduce your environmental impact over using agar plates in four key areas:
Learn more about the reduction in Primary Energy Demand, Blue Water Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from 3M Petrifilm Plates Compared to Traditional Microbiological Analysis Method.
Dive into details and read our study on "Reduction in Primary Energy Demand, Blue Water Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from 3M Petrifilm Plates Compared to Traditional Microbiological Analysis Method".
3M Petrifilm Plates can reduce your environmental impact over using agar plates. Simply click the link below to see how much more eco-friendly you can be with 3M Petrifilm Plates. You might be in for a big surprise!
Every day, food processors, retailers and consumers are forced to throw out food due to microbial spoilage. This not only contributes to food waste and costly recalls, but can also damage a company’s brand reputation. Learn about food spoilage in the food and beverage industries with a new educational series by 3M Food Safety and food spoilage expert Dr. Randy Worobo of Cornell University.
Dr. Worobo is a Professor of Food Microbiology at Cornell University. He is responsible for teaching undergraduate and graduate food safety assurance classes, and his research is focused on non-thermal processing alternatives for juice and beverages, microbial spoilage of foods and beverages, pathogen transmission and survival on fruits and vegetables.
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Advance your knowledge with the next learning course track covering topics:
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3M Petrifilm Plates are a convenient and reliable way to detect environmental microbial contamination. The construction of 3M Petrifilm Plates allows them to be used for direct contact or swab contact monitoring procedures, as well as air sampling procedures.
See procedure details and step-by-step instructions (PDF 1MB)
Your comprehensive resource for environmental monitoring in the food and beverage industries. For expert advice on building and enhancing your environmental monitoring program, including a chapter about indicator testing, explore our free Environmental Monitoring Handbook.
Effective environmental monitoring programs (EMPs) rely on hygiene monitoring as an integral component. A robust hygiene monitoring program that utilizes both ATP testing and microbiological testing can help food manufacturers meet regulations, assess the effectiveness of their cleaning and sanitation operations, and support food safety and quality.
Read the one-page summary (PDF 118KB) or access the full whitepaper for free below.
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Download the 3M whitepaper about the peer-reviewed case study from Cornell University and 3M Food Safety to see how a ready-to-eat (RTE) food manufacturer leveraged 3M Environmental Monitoring Solutions to make a measurable impact in their food safety program. The results showed improvements in the facility’s environmental hygiene and the microbiological quality of food produced. (PDF 2MB)
Talk to a 3M Food Safety expert to discuss how 3M Petrifilm Plates could support your environmental testing and indicator testing process.
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View 3M Petrifilm products in our online product catalogue for 3M ordering information or view all your where to buy options
Protecting the world’s food supply is a big responsibility — but we’re here to help. We’ve got people to support you locally with technical advice, software support, and exceptional service.
From purchase, through to installation and ongoing support, we’ll help you mitigate risk and improve operations — every batch, every shift, every day.
Fast and accurate colony counting. Saves counting
time - reader enumerates plates in 6 seconds or less and drive accuracy with reduced risk of human error.
Accurate and reliable pathogen testing with our
ready-to-use assays, single post-enrichment protocol for all pathogens and same- or next-day results for most matrices.
Better samples create better results. Standardise your sampling procedure and drive consistency and efficiency.
3M offers a broad range of products - from separation, filtration & purification products to personal protective equipment, surface & floor cleaning products to durable label and packaging solutions - that support food and beverage manufacturers. Take a look at how 3M can support you. (PDF 6MB)
Learn more about the science of food safety. Free webinars and resources that help you deepen your expertise and improve food safety and quality in your business – anytime, from anywhere.
3M Food Safety products are available direct from 3M or from our authorised channel partners. Visit our 'Purchasing information' page to contact a 3M representative, view our online product catalogue or to find a local channel partner.
We are here to help! Get in touch with our food safety support team for advice about our solutions and how to use them. Contact us!