[compost_tea] Re: CTTF Report - Tests & Comments

From: dkemnitz2000 <dkemnitz2000_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2004 00:18:04 -0000
---
Dennis responds below:
Hello Steve,

In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, "Kirk Leonard" <kirk@o...> wrote:
> Dennis, you said:
> > Testing for E. coli and enterococci may be quick and dirty...
[clip]... 


Steve you must have clipped some of what I said.  I indicated I bet 
it (coliform test)
won't hardly ever come up (out)negative or "whatever negative is
called nowadays". On a plate of VRB the  diluted sample is poured and
if anything shows (coliform)it's not ND yet.  So Then another day or
two of tests are required which obviously will be more money.
((((((((In a dairy plant we nearly always had presumptive coliforms
in milk, in equipment in whey,etc.,I believe it's called. Coliforms
live in digestive tract of warm blooded mammals. They're probably on
my hands right now as I've been out and about the farm all day
without washing my hands but twice. I did rinse them about 25 times
in ACT; is that a wash? While here in the lab tonight I'll catch up
and wash 10 or 15 times mainly to remove lab chemicals.))))))))
Further testing is required to detet E. coli 157 or whatever it
is.    Obviously someone at NOSB or CTTF is saying, as I first read
on this board about a year ago"send money".  Even then it's a most
probable number thing for positive coliform or so many CFU's.  ACT is
not food.  We test food here at the plant and usually add
preservatives or kill everything(maybe even some pathogens) some
other way, denature the proteins,inactivate the enzymes,etc,etc. 
Like maybe acidify beyond microbial survival range.Like add a bunch
of sugar to reduce water activity.
Or cook it oradd mycostats or add Na benzoate.Or add some other
ingredient generally regarded as safe.  So why such stiff testing on 
a soil amendment?
   Did you answer my question about testing required of compost used
for food crop production and whether there is the 90 day delay
requuired of it?

I'll look up entero test but I bet it's at least another $15 and
another $15 package required to ship it and another $15 dollar UPS
charge and andother $15 to pay sec'y to file it twice or a new dress
for the wife. hehehe.Or maybe use Jeff's finese. hehehe............I
only got one cow to sell!(if confused refer to original post) I
couldn't get the cow to the bull so she's sort of a grass mowin'
ornament so maybe I just as well sell her for slaughter.Seems like an
injustice.Dennis


Have you looked at data to see what entero and E.coli (are you
testing for coliforms or strain 157 or something else.)test results
are and what they're costing? Dennis



I
> don't think it'll EVER come up negative. You can test 'til after
the cows
> come home! <
> "Negative" is not what's called for here - "ND" or "non detect" is
> excellent.


Is that ran by a certified lab tech or just some body pulled in off
the street and thrown in the lab? I've trained a lot of those or
tried to train them. 



I
> don't know enterococci test costs, but E.coli is US$15-30 at
several labs I
> know about, so it must be a relatively easy test.  I believe Doc E
offers
> 3-hour turnaround (Corvallis, anyway).

What standard method is used????????
Dennis






Can anyone speak to
> enterococci tests?
>
> For a long time it seemed like NOP was insisting on ZERO pathogens
in tea,
> so allowed maximums are good news, I think.  -- "These indicators



That isn't an indicator thats a spec. Coliforms are indicator
organisms.Is it coliform MPN ,or coliform VRB plate method or
something else?Dennis





and
> the passing criteria are Escherichia coli (126 CFU/100ml) or
enterococci (33
> CFU/100ml)."
> Clipped below


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Received on Wed Apr 21 2004 - 22:01:36 EDT

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