Film media for Escherichia coli and coliform count

Easy Plate EC Instruction Manual code: 61982

CAUTION !

! 1. Do not attempt to eat this product, touch the growth area with bare hands or allow the medium to get into eyes.
2. Please make sure to read the precautions and instructions in this Instruction Manual before attempting to use the
device and exercise extreme caution when using it.
Easy Plate EC is a microbiological culture device made up of a waterproof galactosidase.
sheet, a readymade dry medium on the sheet and a transparent cover over the e) Aeromonas hydrophila and some of Serratia species are detected as
medium. The Easy Plate EC method is intended to indicate the level of non-E. coli coliform and form red purple colonies because they have
Escherichia coli and coliform bacteria in selected food products. It is compact ability to produce β-galactosidase.
and easy to use, and reduces the total amount of waste produced during testing. f) When the entire growth area becomes colored, record the count as too
The Easy Plate EC method has been granted AOAC Research Institute numerous to count (TNTC).
Performance Tested MethodsSM (031601) for raw beef, raw pork, raw frozen g) When a bubble disrupts a colony so that the colony outlines the bubble,
pork, raw lamb, raw salmon, frankfurter sausage and cooked ham. count it as one colony.
h) When a colony spreads, count it as one colony.
Procedure i) When two or more spreading colonies appear to originate from separate
1. Sample preparation sources, count each source as one colony.
1) Weigh each 50 g test portion into a blender jar. j) When the sample is not clear (i.e. cloudy or dark), prepare a higher dilution.
2) Add 450 mL Butterfield's phosphate-buffered diluent (BPD) and blend for k) When the entire growth area becomes colored due to food components
up to 2 minutes. For a recipe of BPD, see the FDA website (BAM Reagents involving the chromogenic reaction, prepare a higher dilution.
R11).
3) Prepare all decimal dilutions with 90 mL BPD plus 10 mL previous 5. Colony isolation
dilution. Lift the cover and pick a single colony from the gel.
4) Shake 25 times in a 30 cm arc.
Cautions
2. Inoculation 1) This product is not for clinical testing.
1) Remove each Easy Plate EC sheet from an aluminum bag under aseptic 2) This product has not been tested with all possible food products, food
conditions. processes, test protocols or strains.
2) Place the sheet on a flat surface and allow it to reach room temperature (15- 3) Do not open the cover until just before inoculation.
25℃). 4) Do not use the product after its expiry date.
3) Lift the cover and place 1 mL sample suspension onto the center of the 5) Do not use the product that is damaged, deformed or discolored, or that
medium. contains any foreign materials.
4) Drop the cover onto the sample. 6) Do not expose the product to direct sunlight.
Do not use the sheet with a bent cover to ensure the sample spreads on the 7) Do not push the cover after inoculation to avoid sample suspension being
entire medium. spilled out from a growth area.
5) Leave the sheet for 3 minutes or more on a horizontal surface. 8) If sample suspension spilled out from a growth area, try again with a new
Do not move or tilt the sheet until solidification of the suspension is completed sheet.
to avoid the sample being spilled out from the growth area. 9) If medium or reagent gets into eyes or mouth, rinse immediately with plenty
6) Hold both ends of the sheet and carry it into an incubator. of water and consult a doctor.
The sheets can be held after the solidification without any time restriction. 10) Analysis needs to be performed under a laboratory analyst with
microbiological training and supervision. All waste must be handled as a
3. Incubation biohazard and disposed by autoclaving.
Incubate the sheets at 35 ± 1℃ for 24 ±1 hours. It is possible to stack up to 25
sheets. Storage
Keep in the refrigerator (2-8℃).
4. Interpretation The product can be stored below 25°C for up to 14 days or below 30°C for up
Medium contains two kinds of colorimetric enzyme substrate, Magenta-Gal and to 5 days before opening an aluminum bag. Storage at 25°C and 30°C have not
X-Gluc. Count pink/red purple colonies for non-E. coli coliforms except for E. been validated under AOAC Research Institute PTM 031601.
coli and navy blue/blue purple colonies for E. coli. The suitable colony counting
range is 1-250. Storage after opening the bag
Put any unused sheet back into the bag, fold the end of the bag over twice, and
Trouble shooting for counting colonies: seal with tape. The shelf life under refrigerated condition is 3 months after
a) When a number of colonies per sheet exceeds 250, for all dilutions, record opening.
the count as too numerous to count (TNTC). If an estimated count is
required, count colonies within 1-3 squares (1 cm x 1 cm) printed on the Shelf life
cover and calculate an average. Multiplying the average number by 20 Expiry date is specified on the product label after the word “EXP”. The shelf
provides the estimated count since the circular growth area is life of the product is 18 months after manufacturing if it is stored properly
approximately 20 cm2. without opening the bag.
b) Not every Escherichia coli forms navy blue/blue purple colony.
c) Escherichia coli O157 is detected as non-E. coli coliform and forms red
purple colonies because it does not produce β-glucuronidase.
d) Escherichia blattae is not detected because it does not produce β-

© 2021 Kikkoman Corp. （20210701）

Disposal
Any and all media, supplements, and reagents must be sterilized by
autoclaving after use, and then disposed as industrial waste according to local
laws and regulations.

Warranty
Kikkoman Biochemifa Company warrants the products to have a certain level
of quality. This warranty guarantees that Kikkoman Biochemifa Company shall
replace defective products should any be found. This warranty does not provide
any other guarantees. Kikkoman Biochemifa Company shall not be liable for
any damages, including special or consequential damages, or expenses arising
directly or indirectly from the use of this product.

2-1-1, Nishi-shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0003, Japan

Tel: +81 3 5521 5178
E-mail: biochemifa@mail.kikkoman.co.jp
URL: https://biochemifa.kikkoman.co.jp/e/
© 2021 Kikkoman Corp. （20210701）