Rapid plate counting techniques for enumeration of psychrotrophic bacteria in pasteurized double cream

Abstract

A rapid method for the enumeration of psychrotrophs in cream, involving incubation at 21°C for 25 h, has been compared with counts obtained using a conventional incubation at 6°C for 14 days. A very high correlation (r=0,97) was obtained between the methods. The use of the Spiral Plate Maker in conjunction with the short incubation procedure was also investigated and found to have considerable potential.