Patent ID: 8822143

Claim:
A method of sampling and testing for microbes in multiple separate test lots, comprising: a) separately collecting multiple independent samples from each of multiple separate test lots, wherein each separate test lot is separately sampled by taking said multiple independent samples thereof; b) separately compositing the collected multiple independent samples from each of the separate test lots to provide a corresponding set of separate composited test lot samples, wherein each of the separate composited test lot samples is attributed to a particular corresponding separate test lot; c) enriching each of the separate composited test of samples to provide a set of separate composited test lot samples enriched for the target microbe(s); d) removing portions of each separate enriched composited test lot sample, and combining the removed portions to provide a pooled modular composite sample; and e) testing of the pooled modular composite sample, using a suitable detection assay, for the target microbe(s), wherein when such testing is negative all of said samples that were composited to form the separate composited test lot samples are deemed negative for the target microbe(s) and each of the multiple separate test lots is validated, and wherein when such testing is positive, each of the individual separate composited test lot samples that were used to form the pooled modular composite sample are individually tested to determine which of the separate composited test lot samples is positive for the target microbe(s), wherein the test lots corresponding to any negatively testing composited test lot samples are validated.