CARIRI’s state-of-the-art Food and General Microbiology Laboratory specializes in food safety and water quality testing.
Our local and regional clients benefit from a broad range of services including:

  • Microbiological testing of Food and Water
  • Microbiological testing of Environmental Swabs
  • Cosmetic Testing(Creams and Lotions only for Aerobic Bacterial and Yeast & Mound)

Food & Beverage

We provide the food and beverage industry with a complete range of microbiological analyses to ensure food safety, product quality and compliance with established standards.

Water Testing

Our customized water testing laboratory offer services specifically designed to help clients determine the quality of different types of water, including:

  • bottled water
  • potable water (tanks, springs and wells)
  • industrial water
  • dialysis water

List of Tests Offered

  • Total Aerobic Plate Count / Heterotrophic Plate Count
  • Enumeration of Total Coliforms
  • Enumeration of Faecal Coliforms
  • Enumeration of E.coli
  • Enumeration of  Yeast and Mould
  • Detection of Salmonella sp.
  • Enumeration of Staphylococcus aureus
  • Enumeration of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
  • Enumeration of Enterococci
  • Detection and Enumeration of Legionella (offered via an external laboratory)
  • 3M Petrifilm Test Methods (Rapid Method)
  • Rapid detection of Presumptive Salmonella sp and Presumptive Listeria sp via Neogen Reveal 2.0 Kits
  • Further tests can also be offered via an external laboratory

Accredited and Accurate

Staffed by a team of highly trained, experienced professionals, we make use of both traditional and modern rapid technologies to provide unsurpassed service.
As an ANSI/ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited and ISO 9001:2015 certified laboratory, we generate accurate, reliable and timely results, performed in accordance with strict quality control standards and accredited methodologies.

Other Services

  • Sample Collection
  • Training
  • Consultancy

Our Clients

  • Food and Beverage Companies
  • Hotels
  • Restaurants
  • Caterers
  • Medical Facilities
  • Energy Companies
  • Government Agencies

Shipping Instructions

(Please contact us for more detailed guidelines)

We recommend that water and perishable products be packed on ice packs and shipped immediately. These samples should reach the lab within 8 -10 hours. Samples that are frozen should be maintained in the frozen state using dry ice. Please call us to coordinate the shipping and receiving of samples that are iced or frozen in order to minimize the chance of spoilage. Normal business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM (GMT -4 hours).
Samples shipped by private carrier (UPS, FedEx, etc.) should be addressed to:

Jamey Mohammed (Ms.)

Food & General Microbiology Laboratory

Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI),

UWI Campus,

Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.

Please include a Chain of Custody with your samples, with special emphasis on the date and time samples were collected. Please contact the laboratory for further information at foodmicro@cariri.com

Turnaround Times

The normal time required for completion of sample testing and availability of a final report is 10-15 working days from the date of receipt of samples.

*Note: This timeframe is dependent on the level of contamination of sample(s) and the type of analyses required.

Urgent analysis: There will be an additional fee charged for any expedited analysis or reports required in a shorter timeframe.

Lab Reports The laboratory report will be e-mailed to you when available and once payments are have been made.

Sampling, Sample Size and Preservation

Please contact us if you have questions concerning sampling, sample sizes or preservation of samples. Further information can be supplied upon request

Contact Us

  • University of the West Indies St Augustine
  • (868) 299-0210 Ext. 5059
  • foodmicro@cariri.com