Quantify the bioburden in your environment.
Total viable count (TVC) and presumptive coliform analysis from air, surface and water samples — for cleanrooms, food production, healthcare, and water systems.
- UK-wide since 2013
- Independent assessments
- ISO 9001 accredited
- Practical control advice
What this means for you
Evidence you can act on and defend.
Measured exposure evidence
Data suitable for HSE, insurers and audits.
Independent assessment
Occupational hygiene review of real exposure risk.
Practical control recommendations
Prioritised actions based on risk and operational practicality.
Compliance support
Evidence to support COSHH and internal governance.
Speak with a TVC analysis specialist
0800 433 7914
sales@sysco-env.co.ukMon–Fri · 08:00–18:00 · Independent advice · Fixed-price scope
Typical response: same working day
What happens next
Send the samples; we do the rest.
Standard turnaround is 48–72 hours plus reporting; rush turnaround available. Reports are formatted to fit your environmental monitoring or HACCP framework.
No unnecessary disruption. No generic paperwork. No unnecessary complexity.
Whether exposure is controlled
A clear yes or no, backed by measurement.
Where the highest risks are
Locations, tasks and roles ranked by exposure.
What actions matter most
A prioritised plan you can budget and schedule.
What you get
Four answers. One clear plan.
You need to know what your workforce is exposed to, whether your controls are effective, what actions matter most, and how to demonstrate control confidently.
That is exactly what we deliver.
Standard incubation
TVC incubated at 22 °C (environmental flora) and 37 °C (potentially clinical / faecal indicator).
Coliform & E. coli
Presumptive coliform and E. coli enumeration where the brief requires.
Per-environment benchmarks
Results contextualised against cleanroom, food, healthcare or water-system action levels.
Defensible reporting
Reports suitable for HACCP, environmental monitoring programmes and audit.
Why clients call
If any of this sounds familiar, you're in the right place.
- 01
An auditor is asking
HSE, your insurer or a client wants evidence — not assurances
We provide measured TVC analysis data and a clear technical report that resolves the issue quickly.
- 02
Your team is worried
Operatives are reporting concerns or symptoms
We attend site, quantify workforce exposure and provide clear evidence of current risk levels.
- 03
You suspect a problem
You know there's a risk and you want measured data before it becomes a crisis
We quantify exposure, assess it against current limits and provide a prioritised corrective action plan.
What we answer for you
Three questions, settled.
- Where your people are exposed
- We map the tasks, areas and shifts where TVC analysis matters, then sample what your team actually breathes — not a generic site average.
- Whether your controls are working
- An independent review of your LEV, ventilation, PPE and work practices — what is effective and what requires improvement.
- What you need to fix first
- A prioritised, costed action list — the smallest set of changes that gets you compliant and measurably safer.
How we work with you
From your first call to your action plan.
- 1
We listen first — your site, your concerns, your deadline.
- 2
We walk the workplace with your team to see exposure as it actually happens.
- 3
We sample on the people most at risk, using validated occupational hygiene methods for TVC analysis.
- 4
We assess your existing controls honestly — what's working, what isn't.
- 5
You receive a clear technical report suitable for operational, compliance and regulatory readers.
- 6
We hand you a prioritised action plan you can budget, schedule and defend.
Typical survey outputs
What you receive at the end of the engagement.
- TVC at 22 °C / 37 °C
- Coliform & E. coli (where required)
- Per-sample CFU enumeration
- Per-environment benchmarking
- Methodology summary
- Chain-of-custody record
- Trend reporting (where contracted)
- Defensible laboratory report
Client testimony
“Sysco's TVC turnaround and reporting fits straight into our environmental monitoring schedule.”
— QC manager
UK food producer
Typical environments we assess
Wherever TVC analysis risk affects your people.
- Lab analysis service
- Cleanroom monitoring
- Healthcare estates
- Food production
- Hospitality water systems
- Schools / aquatics
Background
TVC analysis, in detail.
What TVC measures
Total viable count is a measure of the cultivable aerobic bacterial bioburden in a sample. It is the standard environmental microbiology baseline for cleanrooms, food production, healthcare and water systems. It does not identify species — it quantifies the bioburden against an action level.
Sample types and methodology
Air sampling by impaction (Andersen, MAS-100), surface sampling by contact plate or swab, and water sampling by membrane filtration. Plates are incubated at 22 °C and 37 °C for the standard 48-hour period; coliform / E. coli enumeration is added where the brief requires.
Action levels
Action levels depend on the environment — Grade A/B/C/D for cleanrooms (EU GMP), HACCP-derived for food, BSI 8551 for water etc. Our reports always state the framework being benchmarked against.
Related services
Often assessed alongside TVC analysis.
Common questions
Total Viable Count — FAQs.
Quick answers to the questions we hear most from operations, HSE and procurement teams.
- What sample types do you accept?
- Air, surface (contact plate / swab) and water samples.
- Do you identify species?
- TVC is enumeration only. Species ID is available as a separate service when required.
- Turnaround?
- Standard 48–72 hour incubation plus reporting; same-week and rush available.
- Do you support cleanroom monitoring?
- Yes — including EU GMP Grade A–D environmental monitoring programmes.
- Coliform / E. coli?
- Yes — added on request for relevant samples.
- Where are you based?
- UK-based laboratory with national post-in service.
Speak with a TVC analysis specialist
Send us the samples. We'll quantify the bioburden.
Tell us
- sample types and number,
- the framework you're benchmarking against,
- turnaround required,
- and your reporting deadline.
We will provide
- a clear scope,
- fixed quotation,
- proposed attendance strategy,
- and expected reporting timeframe.
Send us a brief
Outline the sites, tasks and timelines of concern — we'll reply with a clear scope and fixed quotation.
Sample lab report
Our report at a glance.
Every Sysco laboratory report is short, hierarchical and actionable. Here is what you'll find on the first page — and you can preview the full PDF below or request the worked example by email.
- 01
Sample & site context
Why we sampled, the locations chosen and the method used — at a glance.
- 02
Headline result table
Total spores per cubic metre by location, with indoor / outdoor ratios.
- 03
Dominant genera
Plain-English call-out of any water-damage indicator organisms found.
- 04
Priority actions
Three-step action plan with owners — what to do next, in order.
Anonymised — based on a real Sysco assessment, signed off by a BOHS-qualified hygienist.
For download
Free laboratory resources for your team.
Print-ready references and forms — no sign-up required. Updated whenever methods or guidance change.
- Field guide
Sampling collection guide
Field-ready instructions for collecting spore traps, tape-lifts, swabs, bulk samples and pumped media for lab analysis.
- Form · A4
Chain-of-custody form
Printable A4 form for sample IDs, custody transfers and dispatch — send with every batch of samples to the lab.
Need a specific method, sampling kit or chain-of-custody tailored to your project? Call 0800 433 7914 or email sales@sysco-env.co.uk.