Methods for rapid detection of post‐pasteurization contamination in cream

Abstract

Pre‐incubated cream tests (P‐INC) ore described which allow early detection (within 26 h) of post‐pasteurization contamination. The P‐INC tests also allow prediction of the shelf‐life of cream stored at 6°C. Cream is mixed with a cocktail of inhibitors for the growth of Gram‐positive organisms and incubated for 25 h, and those bacteria that grow are enumerated by either ATP photometry or by the direct epifluorescent filter technique (DEFT). When speed is not essential the organisms may instead be counted after a further 25 h using a plate count.