Food and water contaminated by microorganisms (bacteria and yeasts), viruses and protozoa can cause severe disease in humans, especially in people weakened by illness or during convalescence, malnutrition, etc.

There are two categories of foodborne diseases. First, food poisoning is caused by the presence of microbial toxins in food products, e.g. by Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens (both produce enterotoxins which elicit enteric disease such as. diarrhoea) and Clostridium botulinum (botulism the most severe type of food poisoning).

Second, food infection is caused by the growth of microorganisms in the body after eating contaminated food, e.g. by Salmonella spp. (salmomonellosis) and Campylobacter jejuni (high fever, abdominal cramps). Many human pathogens are transmitted by fecally contaminated water, the most important are Salmonella typhi (typhoid fever) and Vibrio cholerae (cholera). Microbiological test procedures for the examination of food and water have been standardized and regulated, but nearly every country has its own regulations, the "Schweizerisches Lebensmittelhandbuch" being a case in point. All the necessary culture media, their additives, dyes and indicators which Fluka offers conform to Swiss regulations.

	Drinking Water, Mineral- and Table Water
	95388	Bismuth Sulfide Agar		70152	Plate Count Agar
	70134	Brilliant Green Agar (modified)		70153	Selenite Broth (Base)
	16025	Brilliant Green Bile Lactose Broth		85463	Simmons Citrate Agar
	22470	Cetrimide Agar		85640	SS-Agar
	70135	DCLS Agar		88151	Tetrathionate Broth
	70137	ENDO Agar (Base)		70156	TetrathionateBroth(Base)
	47706	Formate Ricinoleate Broth		44940	Triple Sugar Iron Agar
	70143	MacConkey Agar No 1		22092	Tryptic Soy Broth
	63163	Malachite Green Broth		70159	TryptoneGlucoseExtractAgar
	69150	Methyl Red Voges Proskauer Broth		70194	Tryptone water
	70149	Nutrient Broth No 3		51463	Urea Broth
	77185	Peptone Water		70188	Violet Red Bile Agar
	78052	Phenylalanine Agar