Comparison of methods for determining the presence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in apple juice.
Six methods were compared for detection of three strains of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in enrichments of inoculated apple juice. Juice was inoculated at levels varying from 0.1 to 100 CFU/ml and centrifuged after overnight storage at 4 degrees C, and pellets were incubated at 37 degrees C in nonselective enrichment broth. At hourly intervals between 5 and 10 h and at 24 h, the enrichments were tested for E. coli O157:H7 by direct fluorescent antibody (DFA), antibody-direct epifluorescent filter technique (Ab-DEFT), direct selective plating on sorbitol MacConkey agar (SMA), immunomagnetic separation coupled to either selective plating (IMS-SMA) or the polymerase chain reaction (IMS-PCR), and flow cytometry (FC). The most consistent detection of 0.1 CFU/ml of the slowest growing strain of the pathogen was provided by the IMS-SMA and IMS-PCR after 8 h of enrichment. The time required for detection at the level of 0.1 CFU/ml for each assay was Ab-DEFT, 11 h; IMS-PCR, 16 h; FC, 24 h; IMS-SMA, 32 h; and SMA, 48 h. Absolute detection limits (without enrichment) were: IMS-PCR, 10(3) CFU/ml; Ab-DEFT and IMS-SMA, 10(4) CFU/ml; SMA, 10(5) CFU/ml; and DFA, 10(6) CFU/ml. Recovery of the pathogen (10 CFU/ml) in apple juice after 28 days of 4 degrees C storage was possible by means of an 8-h enrichment and Ab-DEFT, IMS-PCR, or IMS-SMA.
Tortorello
M L
ML
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, National Center for Food Safety and Technology, Summit-Argo, Illinois 60501, USA.
Reineke
K F
KF
Stewart
D S
DS
Raybourne
R B
RB
D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D001628:Beverages / Q000382:microbiology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003470:Culture Media; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D019085:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005638:Fruit / Q000382:microbiology*; D018189:Immunomagnetic Separation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods
D003470:Culture Media