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Food and Nutrition

Enumeration of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa in Foods and Food Ingredients by the Hydrophobic Grid Membrane Filter (HGMF) Technique

Laboratory Procedure MFLP-61
May 2001

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Health Protection Branch
Ottawa

Don Warburton
Bureau of Microbial Hazards, Food Directorate
Postal Locator: 2204A1
Health Canada, Ottawa ON K1A 0L2
E-mail: Don_Warburton@hc-sc.gc.ca

1. Application

The method is applicable to the enumeration of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in foods to determine compliance with the requirements of Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act. This revised method replaces MFLP-61, dated September 1992.

2. Principle

The hydrophobic grid-membrane filter (HGMF) method, uses commercially available media, as modified by Warburton et al. (7.3). A single dilution accommodates a wide range of contamination levels.

Counting precision may be better than on conventional membrane filters (7.2). Further identification can be done using commercially available identification kits and biochemical reactions.

3. Definition of Terms

See Appendix A of Volume 3.

4. Collection of Samples

4.1 See Appendix B of Volume 3

4.2 Each sample unit shall contain at least 100 g.

4.3 Keep the sample units refrigerated (0-4EC) during transport.

5. Materials and Special Equipment

The following media and their supplements (1 to 8) are commercially available and are to be prepared and sterilized according to the manufacturer's instructions. The suppliers listed are provided asguidelines; other sources may be used. See also Appendix G of Volume 3 and reference 7.1 for the formula of individual media.