PRESERVATION OF SAMPLE FOR MEASURING VIABLE CELL NUMBER

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To preserve a measuring sample for viable cell number for quality control, etc., when producing medicines, foods and cosmetics by keeping an aqueous sample for measuring the viable cell number of a microorganism at a specific temperature, maintaining a microbial flora in an intact state at the time of collection as much as possible and enabling the measurement with a high accuracy. SOLUTION: Natural water such as rainwater, spring water, river water, lake or marsh water, tap water, purified water for medicines, water for injection, an aqueous solution of a salt for peroral water supplementation, a drink agent, a transfusion solution, mineral water, a refreshing drink, toilet water, etc., are used as an aqueous sample, which is maintained at 6-14 deg.C temperature to thereby maintain a microbial flora therein in an intact state at the time of collection as much as possible, in the method for preserving the sample for measuring the viable cell number of the microorganism in the aqueous sample. Thereby, the measurement of the viable cell number with a high accuracy can be carried out to preserve the sample for measuring the viable cell number used for water quality tests of the natural water, quality control, etc., of products.