Too Numerous To Count (TNTC) or Too Many To Counts (TMTC)
- In samples with very high bacterial concentration, that is not suitable for counting (unable to get accurate counts) and reports the results as "to numerous to count" (TNTC).
- While the best solution is to collect another sample and dilute to get a more accurate counts, this might not always to be possible.
- Ideally one plate with 200 to 250 colonies are used.
- Counts above 250 are considered "to numerous to count" (TNTC), because it is impossible to count the colonies.
- plates countable range 25 to 250.
Too Few To Count (TFTC):
- If there are less than 30 colonies on the plate, small errors in dilution technique or the presence of a few contaminants will have a drastic effect on the final count this count is called too few to count (TFTC).
