Evaluation of a New Enrichment Broth for Detection of Cronobacter spp. in Powdered Infant Formula

• Published in: Journal of food protection Vol. 74; no. 3; pp. 387 - 393
• Main Authors: AL-HOLY, M. A, SHIN, J.-H, OSAILI, T. M, RASCO, B. A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Des Moines, IA International Association for Food Protection 01.03.2011; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Babies; Baby foods; Bacteriological Techniques; Biological and medical sciences; Colony Count, Microbial - methods; Cronobacter sakazakii - isolation & purification; Culture Media - chemistry; Enterobacteriaceae - isolation & purification; Food Contamination - analysis; Food industries; Food microbiology; Food safety; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Humans; Indexing in process; Infant; Infant Food - microbiology; Infant Formula; Infant, Newborn; Methods of analysis, processing and quality control, regulation, standards; Milk; Optimization; Pathogens; Sodium; Sucrose; Enrichment; Evaluation; Analysis method; Control method; Detection; Infant formula; Powder
• ISSN: 0362-028X; 1944-9097
• DOI: 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-10-239

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of using Al-Holy-Rasco (AR) medium, a novel broth for detection and isolation of Cronobacter spp. in infant formula milk (IFM). The new medium's composition is generic brain heart infusion broth with the addition of 1% NaCl, 15% sucrose, and 0.80 g/liter sodium deoxycholate as selective ingredients. AR broth outperformed Enterobacteriaceae enrichment broth (EE), Enterobacter sakazakii enrichment broth (ESE), modified lauryl sulfate broth, and milk as enrichment media to stimulate the growth of a cocktail of 10 strains of Cronobacter. Additionally, AR broth significantly suppressed the growth of competing non-Cronobacter Enterobacteriaceae as compared with EE, ESE, modified lauryl sulfate broth, and milk. The recovery of desiccated Cronobacter (1 to 5,000 CFU/100 g) from powdered IFM in the presence of competing non-Cronobacter Enterobacteriaceae was determined by EE, ESE, and AR broth with 10 and 15% sucrose. AR broth with 15% sucrose outperformed all other examined broths and recovered Cronobacter from all samples tested at all Cronobacter concentrations. AR broth must be validated before it can be used for rapid detection and isolation of Cronobacter from powdered IFM.