title: Comparative studies on the isolation of "sublethally injured" salmonellae in nine European laboratories.
abstract: Artificially or naturally contaminated minced meat samples were distributed to nine laboratories and the isolation rates obtained using standardized pre-enrichment and direct enrichment methods were compared. In all laboratories the pre-enrichment method gave higher isolation rates but the difference was less marked with the naturally contaminated samples. Extending the duration of incubation of the liquid enrichment medium to 48 h and making a second subculture improved the isolation rates. The results obtained with selective plates of the laboratories' own choice were unexpectedly poor in comparison with the standard method.
mesh_terms: D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D005060:Europe; D005516:Food Microbiology; D007753:Laboratories; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis; D008722:Methods; D012475:Salmonella / Q000302:isolation & purification*