Precis Rapid Culture Methods - Oxoid

Eclipse Scientifi c provide a comprehensive
range of microbiological, physical and
chemical testing services to the food and
drink, dairy, water and pharmaceutical
industries. They have ten laboratories
located throughout the UK and Ireland, which
are accredited by UKAS or INAB to ISO 17025,
as well as other relevant accreditations.
The Sittingbourne laboratory performs
microbiological analyses on a wide range of
food, water and environmental samples for
clients, including major food manufacturers,
and suppliers to major supermarket groups
such as M&S and Tesco. The laboratory
analyses approximately 1000 samples per day.
Of these, 200 typically require analysis for
Salmonella and Listeria. They started using
the Oxoid Salmonella Precis and Listeria
Precis methods about 12 months ago.
Precis Rapid Culture Methods
Micro Matters
Precis Methods provide faster Salmonella and Listeria results
for major food manufacturers and suppliers screening
With confi rmed results available at
least 24 hours earlier than other rapid
methods, Precis Salmonella and
Listeria methods offer signifi cant
advantages for food manufacturers on
positive release. Adrian Goldsmith of
Eclipse Scientifi c tells us why they
so successfully use these reliable,
validated methods.
“We were looking for a robust, rapid, reliable
and easy-to-use method to meet customer
demands,” explains General Manager, Adrian
Goldsmith. “The Precis methods were a
cost-effective alternative to nonculture rapid
methods, as no special equipment is required,
and the procedure is simple and easy. It’s just
a single 24-hour enrichment stage (in Oxoid
ONE Broth-Salmonella or ONE Broth-Listeria)
followed by a single sample transfer (which
reduces pipetting, so minimizing the risks of
contamination), and then a single 24-hour
plate incubation on Brilliance Salmonella
Agar or Brilliance Listeria Agar, with a rapid
test to confi rm.
“The single broth/single plate saves time
by reducing the number of subcultures and
inoculation stages. And there’s reduced plate
reading time too, as the Brilliance agars are
very selective for the target organisms, and
the plates are easy to read and interpret. I
particularly like how Brilliance Listeria Agar
differentiates between Listeria species and
can give an early indication of the presence
of L. monocytogenes.”
Reassurance of ISO 16140
Before adopting the Precis methods, Adrian
had to be sure that they would perform as
well as his existing methods in order to
reassure his own clients.
“The fact that the Precis methods are validated
by AFNOR to ISO 16140 was an important
factor,” he continues. “We also performed a
full in-house validation, which demonstrated
that the Precis methods had equivalent
performance to the reference ISO methods.
In addition, for a method to be useful for our
clients, it must included in M&S and Tesco
methods – Precis is approved for use on all
food sample types and swabs. Clients have full
confi dence that we are using an appropriate
method and are generating reliable results that
they can trust, in a timely manner.”
Faster than traditional culture
With results in as little as 42 hours,
the Precis methods are signifi cantly
faster than traditional culture methods
and many other alternative methods.
“The Precis methods provide
results on Day 2, so at least 24 hours
earlier than by other, culture-based
methods,” Adrian says. “Faster
results are a signifi cant benefi t to
food manufacturers on positive
release as they can release stock
more quickly. In addition, we save
time in our workfl ows, which allows
us to process more samples.
“The Precis methods are now
our primary detection method of
choice of Salmonella and Listeria at
Sittingbourne,” Adrian concludes.
“Customers like our ability to get a
confi rmed positive result at least 24
hours earlier than by other methods.”

See how easy the methods are to use
DEDICATED TO MICROBIOLOGY
Protocol for Listeria Precis Method
Day 0: Enrichment
25g or 25mL of sample + 225mL ONE Broth-Listeria
Incubate for 24 ± 2 hours at 30°C
Day 1: Plating
Using a 10µL microbiological loop inoculate
a single Brilliance Listeria plate.
Incubate for 22–26 hours at 37°C
(for meat samples
re-incubate plates that
show no blue colonies
with halos for a further
22–26 hours at 37°C)
Select green-blue
colonies with halos
for confirmation
Day 2: Results
If present, confirm blue/green colonies with halos as
L. monocytogenes using the O.B.I.S. mono test. Alternatively,
confirm using standard ISO methods.**
**If there is insufficient material to carry out an O.B.I.S. mono test, or if a mixed culture of
L. monocytogenes and other Listeria species is suspected, first purify suspect colonies by sub-culture
onto a second Brilliance Listeria plate.
With today’s demands for faster results to pathogen testing in food and environmental samples, Precis Listeria and Salmonella methods, give
your laboratory substantial time and labour savings compared to the traditional ISO methods. Validated by AFNOR to the ISO 16140 standard and
recently included in the M&S manual, these methods require just one broth and one plate, followed by confi rmation. With minimal
hands-on time, they provide results in just 2 days. To improve workfl ow and maximize your effi ciency, put your trust in the Precis methods.
For more information about these products, please visit www.oxoid.com
Oxoid and Remel are specialty microbiology brands of Thermo Fisher Scientifi c. Our products are available worldwide.
www.oxoid.com
Tel: +44 (0) 1256 841144
oxoid.info@thermofi sher.com
© 2011, Thermo Fisher Scientifi c Inc. All trademarks are the property of Thermo Fisher Scientifi c, Inc. and its subsidiaries.
Copyright to photos held separately. All rights reserved.
Protocol for Salmonella Precis Method
Day 0: Enrichment
25g or 25mL of sample + 225mL ONE Broth-Salmonella
Incubate for 16–20 hours at 42°C
Day 1: Plating
Using a 10µL microbiological loop inoculate a single
Brilliance Salmonella plate. Incubate for 22–26 hours at 37°C.
Brilliance Salmonella Agar incorporates novel Inhibigen
technology which improves Salmonella recovery by
reducing background flora.
Day 2: Results
If present, select a well isolated purple coloured colony and test
using the Oxoid Salmonella Latex Test. Alternatively, confirm
purple colonies using standard ISO methods.
Select purple colonies for confirmation
Part of Thermo Fisher Scientifi c
Folio No LT1460A/MS/08/11