CHROMagar staph aureus versus Baird Parker Agar for the detection and enumeration of Staphylococcus aureus from cheese samples

ABSTRACT

This paper evaluated a new chromogenic plate medium, CHROMagar Staph. aureus [CSAM], for the detection and enumeration of Staph. Aureus in cheese samples compared with the conventional Baird Parker agar medium [BPAM]. CSAM showed greater rates of recovery, specificity and efficiency reached 92.2%, 98.5% and 96.3% compared with those of BPAM, which were 83.5%, 49.2% and 61.6%. On the basis of its excellent recovery, the specificity, efficiency, ease of identification of the characteristic colored colonies, especially if they were of very low counts in mixed cultures, CSAM can be recommended as a routine planting medium for the detection and enumeration of Staph. Aureus from food