Substrate Supporting Disc Method for Confirmed Detection of Total Coliforms and E. coli in all Foods: Collaborative Study

The Coli Complete® substrate supporting disc (SSD) method for simultaneous confirmed total coliform count and Escherichia coli determination in all foods was compared with AOAC most probable number (MPN) methods, 966.23 and 966.24. Twenty-nine laboratories participated in this collaborative study in which 6 food types were analyzed. Four food types, raw ground beef, pork sausage, raw liquid milk, and nut meats, were naturally contaminated with coliform bacteria. Two foods, dry egg and fresh frozen vegetables, were seeded with coliforms. Three food types, ground beef, raw liquid milk, and pork sausage, were naturally contaminated with E. coli. Although pork sausage was naturally contaminated, the level was very low (<10/50 g); therefore, additional E. coli were inoculated into 1 lot of this food type. Three food types, nut meats, dry egg, and fresh frozen vegetables, were inoculated with E. coli. For naturally contaminated samples, duplicate determinations were made on 3 separate lots for each food type. For inoculated samples, low, medium, and high contamination levels plus uninoculated control samples were examined in duplicate. Data were analyzed separately for total coliform bacteria and for E. coli. Mean log MPN counts were determined by the SSD method and the appropriate AOAC MPN method. Results were then analyzed for repeatability, reproducibility, and mean log MPN statistical equivalence. Results were statistically equivalent for all total coliform levels in all food types except frozen vegetable and raw nut meat uninoculated control samples and 1 lot of pork sausage where the SSD method produced statistically significant greater numbers. For the E. coli determinations, results were statistically equivalent across all samples and all levels for each food type. The SSD method has been adopted first action by AOAC International for confirmed detection of total coliforms and E. coli in all foods.