Puritan Broth / Liquid Breakdown

Buffered Peptone Water is a non-selective pre-enrichment broth that promotes the recovery of Salmonella bacteria.

In food processing operations, heat, desiccation, preservatives and pH changes may sub-lethally damage bacterial cells present in the product and in the environment. Peptone in the medium contains carbon, nitrogen, vitamins and minerals, which nourish and repair these damaged cells. Healthy Salmonella cells from the BPW can then be inoculated onto a selective enrichment medium for isolation and identification.

Butterfield's Solution is recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a diluent in the water, food, dairy and pharmaceutical industries.*

When a sample contains too many bacteria to count accurately, serial dilutions are prepared in vials containing Butterfield's Solution. A sample from each tube is transferred to a culture plate, incubated, and read after 24–48 hours. A plate with a count between 30 and 300 colonies is selected, counted, and multiplied by its dilution factor to find the number of bacteria in the original sample.

*Source: Bacteriological Analytical Manual, 8th Edition, Revision A, 1998.

Letheen Broth is recommended for neutralizing quaternary ammonium compounds when testing the effectiveness of disinfectants on food processing and cosmetic equipment.

The polysorbate 80 neutralizes surface disinfectants, while the lecithin neutralizes compounds such as chlorine or fluorides and supports bacterial growth.

Neutralizing Buffer is recommended for the microbiological examination of surfaces in food and dairy processing operations.

After surfaces and food processing equipment are cleaned with disinfectants, swab samples are taken and placed in Neutralizing Buffer to check the effectiveness of your sanitation program. Neutralizing Buffer inactivates the disinfectants in the sample, allowing bacteria to survive and be recovered. If bacteria are present after routine sanitization, the sanitization program is not effective.