Flow cytometry - a laser-based cell sensor system - is almost twice as accurate at measuring probiotic levels in chocolate when compared to traditional methods, according to research. The study, published in the journal Food Microbiology , found that flow cytometry (FC) was more precise than direct microscopic counts (DCM) or colony forming units (CFU) - used by regulatory organizations - in evaluating the populations of probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus rhamnosus in chocolate.