Bacterial Counts of Foods ‘The standard plate count, as well as the multiple tube test, can be used on foods much in the same manner that they are used on milk and water to determine total counts and the presence of coliforms, To get the organisms in suspension, however, a food blender is necessary. In this exercise, samples of ground meat, dried fruit, and frozen food will be tested for total numbers ‘of bacteria, This will not be a coliform count. The in- structor will indicate the specific kinds of foods to be tested and make individual assignments, Figure 60.1 illustrates the general procedure. + 3petri plates * 1 bottle (45 ml) of Plate Count agar or Standard ager ‘© 199 ml sterile water blank © 21.1 mi dilution pipettes EXERCISE sterile weighing paper 180 mi sterile water blanks (one for each type of food) samples of ground meat, dried fruit, and frozen vegetables, thawed 2 hours . Using aseptic techniques, weigh out on sterile weighing paper 20 grams of food to be tested. . Add the food and 180 mi of sterile water to a sterile mechanical blender jar. Blend the mixture for 5 min- utes. This suspension will provide a 1:10 dilution. . With a 1.1 ml dilution pipette dispense from the blender 0.1 ml to plate | and 1.0 ml to the water blank. See figure 60.1 . Shake the water blank 25 times in an are for 7 sec- ‘onds with your elbow on the table as done in Ex- ercise, 22 (Enumeration of Bacteria). . Using a fresh pipette, dispense 0.1 ml to plate TIT and 1.0 ml to plate II. . Pour agar (50° C) into the three plates and incu- bate them at 35° C for 24 hours. . Count the colonies on the best plate and record the results in Laboratory Report 60. FIGURE 60.1 Dilution for bacterial counts of fooda — LABORATORY REPORT Date: Section - EXERCISE 60 Bacterial Counts of Foods A. Tabulation of Results: Record your count and the bacterial counts of various other foods made by other students. TYPE OF FOOD PLATE COUNT DILUTION ORGANISMS PER ML B. Questions 1. Why is there such great variability in organisms per mi between different kinds of food?Bacterial Counts of Foods (continues) 5, What precautions are taken to prevent the spoilage of foods? ____—— 6. Which methods in question 5 are most effective? ____——— Least effective?