Rose bengal chloramphenicol agar rbc agar

The microbial qualities of the fresh flowers, of the water used to produce the ice cubes, of the ice cubes with frozen flowers, and of the frozen flowers (in their natural form) were analyzed after 1 and 3 months of storage (-18 °C). One gram of each sample was mixed with sterile peptone water solution and homogenized in a Stomacher 400 (Seward, West Sussex, UK). Decimal dilutions were prepared in the same diluent and plated on appropriate media in duplicate. The growth media and incubation conditions were the following for the studied microorganisms: (I) total mesophilic: Plate Count Agar (PCA, Merck, Algés, Portugal) for 2 days at 30 °C; (II) yeasts and molds: Rose Bengal Chloramphenicol Agar (RBC agar, Merck, Algés, Portugal) incubated at 27 °C for 5 days; and (III) total coliforms and Escherichia coli by the SimPlate R method. All counts were expressed as log 10 colony forming units (CFU)/g sample.

Samples (Fresh and HHP treated) at the beginning of storage (0 days) and after 20 days of storage (4 °C) were collected to determine the microbial quality of pansies. Three grams of sample was mixed with 27 mL of sterile peptone water solution and homogenised in a Stomacher. Decimal dilutions were prepared in the same diluent and plated on appropriate media in duplicate. The growth media and incubation conditions were the following for the studied micro-organisms: (i) total mesophilic: Plate Count Agar (PCA; Merck, Alg es, Portugal) for 2 days at 30 °C; (ii) yeasts and moulds: Rose Bengal Chloramphenicol Agar (RBC agar; Merck) incubated at 27 °C for 5 days; (iii) lactic acid bacteria (LAB): Man, Rogosa and Sharpe Agar (MRS agar; Merck) incubated at 37 °C for 3 days; and (iv) total coliforms and Escherichia coli by the SimPlate Ò method. All counts were expressed as log 10 cfu g À1 fresh sample.