Modification of the bile salts–Irgasan–brilliant green agar for enumeration of Aeromonas species from food

The present study evaluated the productivity of BIBG medium for the isolation of Aeromonas spp. from food and describes a modification of the BIBG medium (mBIBG) (increased pH (8.7), replacement of xylose by soluble starch as a carbon source, decreased concentration of bile salts) to increase its selectivity and electivity. Using the mBIBG medium, growth of the majority of the Enterobacteriaceae (9/10) was suppressed except for Citrobacter freundii. The mBIBG medium supported growth of Pseudomonas species but a clear distinction between Aeromonas and Pseudomonas colonies could be made. Interpretation of the mBIBG medium should be performed after 24 h of incubation. It was noted that three of the 27 Aeromonas strains tested did not develop on the mBIBG medium. The ability or inability to grow on a selective medium is strain-dependent. Enumeration of Aeromonas species (A. hydrophila LMG 3771, A. caviae LMG 3775, A. veronii biovar veronii LMG 9075, A. veronii biovar sobria LMG 13071) from artificially contaminated foods (shrimp, minced meat (beef/pork), precut leek, and shredded carrots) confirmed that the mBIBG medium is suitable for quantitative recovery of aeromonads (ca. 102–107 cfu/g) in the presence of a high background flora (105–106 cfu/g). Screening of naturally contaminated foods (vegetables, seafood, meat) for the presence of Aeromonas resulted in three out of 14 food samples showing presumptive Aeromonas colonies on mBIBG.