Design food microbiology laboratory
If you are in the process of designing a food microbiology lab, there are a number of key factors you will need to consider.
Food microbiology labs study microorganisms that exist within food and cause it either to spoil, become diseased, grow, or ferment over time. Studying these microorganisms is a delicate process that requires particular environmental circumstances and stringent cleanliness to produce accurate results. As such, food microbiology labs are more difficult to design than your average chemistry lab, and often require innovative or creative design solutions to produce the cleanest, most efficient environment.
Here, we’re sharing a few basic tips for what to consider when designing a food microbiology lab and offering our advice for the best solutions to common microbiology lab needs.
Location
Before you can even begin to form the layout of your food microbiology lab, the first step is to select an appropriate location. Food microbiology labs should be built in a clean, quiet place, away from high-traffic areas, boiler rooms, or production areas. Quiet, clean, un-crowded spaces are best for testing, so be sure to think of peace and quiet while choosing your lab location.
Avoid Open Concepts
Unlike many educational and chemistry labs, food microbiology labs should not be designed with an open concept, since food microbiology involves performing a long series of tests using a variety of methods and materials. Within a food microbiology lab, there should be adequate space for a number of completely separate testing environments as well as storage and common areas. Walls, ceilings, and doorways help to prevent cross-contamination and preserve the integrity of the work being done in the lab, so while it may be less convenient to move from room to room than work in an open environment, this is a necessary consideration for any food microbiology lab.
ISO Classification
Food microbiology labs must comply with ISO clearoom classification, which helps to guide and regulate a lab’s particular degree of cleanliness. ISO standards recommend a certain rate of air change per hour to reduce cross-contamination and control cleanroom spaces, so it is important to make sure that your facility meets these standards during the design process.
Lab furniture
Laboratory furniture must be capable of supporting anticipated loads and uses. Spaces between benches, cabinets, and equipment should be accessible for cleaning. Bench tops must be impervious to water and resistant to heat, organic solvents, acids, alkalis, and other chemicals. Chairs used in laboratory work must be covered with a non-porous material that can be easily cleaned and decontaminated with appropriate disinfectant.
Not quite sure how to go about designing your food microbiology lab? Get advice from the experts! Our design team - AdvanceLab Singapore has years of experience working with customers in food industry. We can help you to pinpoint the specific needs of your food microbiology lab, and create a plan to build a facility that fits your every need. Together, we can design the perfect food microbiology lab complete with fully customized furniture, an optimized layout, and advice from some of the best experts in the industry.