| Summary: | Hardbound. Increasing interest in the use of numerical microbiological criteria for foods has often been accompanied by the supposition that the derived data are absolute and that variability is small. In spite of endeavours by some international bodies to stress the need for standardization of methods and the use of sampling plans, a situation still exists wherein an assumption is made that microbiological analyses yield highly reproducible data.This book starts with an assumption of no statistical knowledge by the reader. It discusses the meaning of variability and then considers the nature of certain statistical distributions and their relevance to the distribution of microorganisms in foods and other materials. Methods are described whereby the nature of the distribution can be assessed and hence valuable information can be obtained regarding the state and source of the organisms. This leads naturally into a consideration of sampling theory and an a
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