What's the difference between APC and Coliform testing?

Hi Everyone, 

So i have been requested by a customer to start testing for coliforms in house. 

We currently send our products out along with water samples for coliform testing. 

We also are testing for APC, ATP and yeast & mold. 

What's the difference between APC and Coliform testing. 

They both are verifying the same thing, right?

Thanks!

APC stands for aerobic plant count and in simplest terms is any aerobic organism.  Coliform is more often used as an indicator for sanitation and cleanliness as fecal coliforms are in this group.  So a positive result may indicate a problem to be further investigated. 

To add to Snookie's explanation - APC would indicate the microbial 'health' of the product - measuring all aerobic bacteria that grow at 30C. Coliform counts on the other hand are indicative of a sanitation issue, as these are most likely transferred through human hands( and soil)