Our Quality Assurance Testing

At Fresh Ferments, we don’t just talk about live cultures — we send our ferments to an independent laboratory for testing. Below are the results from our most recent sauerkraut & water kefir syrup tests, showing consistency, quality, and active fermentation.

Sauerkraut Test - Batch0001

  • Date tested: 13th September 2025

  • Sample reference: 1250915765

  • Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB): 1.18 × 10⁶ cfu/g

  • Yeast & mould: < 20 cfu/g

This batch showed a very high level of beneficial lactic acid bacteria, with extremely low levels of yeast and mould. These results indicate a strong, clean ferment with a rich population of live cultures.

Sauerkraut Test - Batch0005

  • Date tested: 11th December 2025

  • Sample reference: 1251214578

  • Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB): approximately 3.0–3.4 × 10⁵ cfu/g

    (Note: Estimated, as colonies were too numerous to count accurately)

  • Yeast: < 20 cfu/g

  • Mould: Not detected

This test confirms healthy lactic fermentation, very low yeast levels, and no detectable mould. The sauerkraut is fermenting cleanly and shows good microbial stability.

Rhubarb & Vanilla Kefir Syrup - Batch 0001

  • Sample Reference: 1260129772

  • Date Tested: 28/01/2026

  • Sample Condition: Received in good condition

  • Product Description: Sugar‑based syrup fermented with water kefir grains

  • Test Performed: Enumeration of lactic acid bacteria (LAB)

  • Result: 9.20 × 10⁵ cfu/g (920,000 cfu/g)

  • Interpretation:

    • LAB levels are consistent with an active, healthy water‑kefir fermentation.

    • No indicators of spoilage or contamination were reported.

    • The product demonstrates a viable live‑culture population suitable for a fermented food sold chilled.

Compliance Notes

  • These results support the claim “contains live cultures” under UK food labelling rules.

  • Avoid medicinal or physiological claims (e.g., “good for gut health”).

  • Ability to state the measured LAB count, as it is a factual, verifiable value.

How the Results Compare

All batches demonstrate:

  • Active lactic acid fermentation

  • Very low yeast levels

  • No detectable mould

All tests evidence strong, healthy lactic fermentation and abundant live cultures typical of well-fermented sauerkraut & water kefir.

What This Means for our customers.

Our testing shows that Fresh Ferments sauerkraut water kefir is:

Properly fermented using traditional lactic fermentation

  • Free from detectable spoilage moulds

  • Consistently produced with care and good hygiene

  • Rich in naturally occurring beneficial bacteria

We continue to test our products to ensure quality, transparency, and confidence in every batch.

Our Partner Laboratory

Southern Microbiological Services Ltd

Unit 3, Georges Farm,

West Buckland, Wellington,

Somerset, TA21 9LE, UK

Methods used: MS-approved laboratory methods (including DRBC and ELA methodologies)