Sterile disposable pipette "filter tips" capped with polyethylene mesh (111-microgram pore size) removed bothersome debris from food suspensions before microbiological analysis. A study comprising 576 analyses of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in lean and regular ground beef, chicken, chedder and mozzarella cheeses, green and lima beans, rhubarb, and beef and turkey pot pies, showed that these filter tips did not reduce bacterial recovery.