🧩 Always use validated reference controls

This article is part of our Application Protocol Help Centre series🔗 designed to help you get the best performance from your Delvotest® system. By following a unified application protocol across multiple laboratories, you can significantly reduce variability, enhance reliability, and achieve more consistent results. In this article, we focus on the importance of using validated reference controls—one of the core principles for operational success🔗—ensuring the accuracy and comparability of your testing outcomes.

Exclusively and always use validated positive and negative controls
To maintain accurate and consistent Delvotest® results, always rely on validated positive and negative reference controls. These controls should have undergone rigorous testing and comply with your local validation framework, providing a reliable benchmark for assessing sample performance. In contrast, using non-validated references, such as UHT milk or reconstituted powdered milk, can introduce variability and lead to inaccurate comparisons. By choosing validated controls, you safeguard the integrity of your results and reinforce testing consistency. // Recommend our Milk Controls //

Ensure consistency in milk composition
The milk composition of validated controls is critical to achieving comparable results. Non-validated controls may differ in properties like fat or protein content, making them unsuitable for confirming the validity of microbial inhibition tests like Delvotest®. Always select reference controls that closely match the composition of your actual milk samples, thereby maintaining a consistent testing environment and promoting reliable outcomes.

Next Steps

In the next article, we will explore another fundamental principle—acclimatising Delvotest® plates before use—to further optimise your testing conditions.

⏭️ Next article: Acclimatise plates before use🔗