Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 20, 2026
Development of a More Sensitive and Specific Chromogenic Agar Medium for the Detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Other Vibrio Species
Published on: November 8, 2016
Comparison of 3 selective media for enumeration of Bacillus cereus in several food matrixes
Jung-Whan Chon1, Kwang-Young Song, Hyunsook Kim
1KU Center for Food Safety, Konkuk Univ, 1 Hwayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 143-701, The Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
In this study, we compared the inclusivity, exclusivity, recoverability, and selectivity of the 3 selective agars (mannitol yolk polymyxin B agar [MYPA], polymyxin pyruvate egg yolk mannitol bromothymol blue agar [PEMBA], and Brillance Bacillus cereus agar [BBC agar]) for Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) from pure culture and several food samples. BBC agar showed greater exclusivity and selectivity in pure culture and in foods with high background flora, respectively; however, all the tested media showed similar recoverability (P > 0.05) of B. cereus in pure culture and in most foods. Our results suggest that BBC agar could be useful to enumerate B. cereus from, in particular, food matrixes with high background competing micro flora.
Insights
Brillance Bacillus cereus agar (BBC agar) offers superior selectivity and exclusivity for detecting Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) in food samples, especially those with high microbial competition. All tested agars demonstrated similar B. cereus recovery rates.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Food Safety
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) is a common foodborne pathogen.
- Accurate enumeration of B. cereus in food is crucial for public health.
- Selective agars are essential for isolating B. cereus from complex food matrices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the performance of three selective agars: mannitol yolk polymyxin B agar (MYPA), polymyxin pyruvate egg yolk mannitol bromothymol blue agar (PEMBA), and Brillance Bacillus cereus agar (BBC agar).
- To evaluate inclusivity, exclusivity, recoverability, and selectivity of these agars for B. cereus.
- To determine the most effective agar for enumerating B. cereus in various food samples.
Main Methods:
- Pure cultures of B. cereus and spiked food samples were used.
- The selective agars (MYPA, PEMBA, BBC agar) were inoculated and incubated under standard conditions.
- Inclusivity, exclusivity, recoverability, and selectivity were assessed based on colony counts and inhibition of other microorganisms.
Main Results:
- BBC agar demonstrated superior exclusivity in pure culture and enhanced selectivity in foods with high background flora compared to MYPA and PEMBA.
- All three tested agars exhibited comparable recoverability of B. cereus in pure culture and most food matrices (P > 0.05).
- BBC agar showed a notable advantage in suppressing the growth of competing microflora.
Conclusions:
- BBC agar is a highly selective and exclusive medium for the detection and enumeration of B. cereus.
- BBC agar is particularly recommended for analyzing food samples with significant background microbial populations.
- The findings support the use of BBC agar for reliable B. cereus quantification in diverse food safety applications.
