| The food microbiologist can choose from a wide variety of conventional and new (rapid) methods for the microbiological analysis of food, drink, water and food environment samples. In order to obtain reliable results on which to base judgements that are technically and commercially sound - the choice should take account of the objective of the analysis, the method procedure, the nature of the sample and micro-organism of concern, and the analytical facilities available. This manual - once more significantly revised, expanded and updated with the help of a working group drawn from food industry microbiologists - contains details for 68 standardised microbiological methods widely used in food microbiology laboratories. Each method is presented in a standard format that specifies its scope, principle, media and reagents, apparatus and procedure, and results interpretation. Flow diagrams provide an at-a-glance overview of each method, whilst detailed references point to valuable additional information - for example to validation studies and British Standards. The methods cover detection, confirmation and enumeration of a range of established and emerging pathogens and spoilage organisms, and are fully consistent with the requirements of the Campden Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (CLAS) - for which it can be used as a reference manual for companies seeking this standard. It will also be of use to companies seeking UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) accreditation. Copies of the complete manual are priced at: £160 (members) / £240 (non-members). Click here for more information and ordering details Methods and micro-organisms covered: Standard plate count (Total viable count) Standard plate count (TVC) - 3M PetriFilmTM aerobic count plate method Mesophilic micro-organisms - enumeration (electrical technique) Standard plate count (water) Mesophilic spore count Thermoduric bacteria - enumeration Halotolerant organisms - enumeration Proteolytic micro-organisms - enumeration Sugar samples - preparation for microbiological examination Yeasts and moulds - enumeration Yeasts and moulds - enumeration (3M PetriFilmTM plate method) Osmophilic yeasts and moulds - enumeration (colony count - DG18 medium) Osmotolerant / osmophilic yeasts and moulds - enumeration Preservative resistant yeasts - enumeration Coliforms - enumeration (4 techniques) Coliforms - detection Enterobactereaceae - enumeration (4 techniques) E. coli - enumeration (colony count) E. coli - enumeration (alternative colony count - chromogenic medium) E. coli - enumeration (3M PetriFilm coliform count plate method) E. coli - detection E. coli - detection and enumeration (membrane filtration) Pseudomonas species - enumeration (colony count) Pseudomonas aeruginosa - enumeration (colony count) Lactic acid bacteria - enumeration (colony count) Enterococcus species - enumeration (colony count) Sulphite reducing clostridia - enumeration (cultural) Sulphite reducing clostridia - enumeration (membrane filtration) Sulphite reducing clostridia - detection Brochothrix thermosphacta - enumeration (colony count) Lipolytic micro-organisms - enumeration Shewanella putrefaciens - enumeration Salmonella - detection (cultural methods) Salmonella - detection (immunoassay) Salmonella - detection (electrical) Salmonella - confirmation Listeria species - enumeration (colony count) Listeria species - detection (4 techniques) Listeria species and L. monocytogenes - detection (DNA hybridisation) Listeria species - confirmation Thermotolerant Campylobacter species - detection Escherichia coli O157 - detection (cultural method with magnetic separation) Staphylococcus aureus (coagulase positive staphylococci) - enumeration (colony count - Baird-Parker medium) Staphylococcus aureus (coagulase positive staphylococci) - enumeration (colony count - RPF medium) Staphylococcus aureus (coagulase positive staphylococci) - detection Clostridium perfringens - enumeration (colony count technique) Bacillus cereus - enumeration (colony count) Vibrio cholerae - detection Vibrio parahaemolyticus - detection Legionella species in water - detection (cultural method) Aeromonas species - detection Yersinia species or Yersinia enterocolitica - detection Enterobacter sakazakii - detection Gram differentiation tests Oxidase test Catalase test Motility test Spore stain |