POLYMYXIN PYRUVATE EGG YOLK MANNITOL BROMOTHYMOL BLUE AGAR BASE (PEMBA))

Description

Bacillus cereus is an aerobic spore-forming bacteria commonly found in soil and isolated from different vegetables, raw and processed foods. B. cereus causes food poisoning due to the consumption of contaminated raw vegetables, sprouts, meat, custards, soups, boiled or fried rice. It also causes eye infections and a wide range of other clinical conditions like abscess formation, meningitis, septicaemia and wound infection. B. cereus is a known cause of mastitis, especially in ewes and heifers. Polymyxin Pyruvate Egg Yolk Mannitol Bromothymol Blue Agar (PEMBA), formulated as per Holbrook and Anderson, is a highly specific, selective medium for the isolation and enumeration of B. cereus from foods. Selectivity is attained with polymyxin and a critical concentration of nutrients. It supports the growth of even a small number of B. cereus cells and spores from foods having large number of microbial load.