Oxoid, one of the world's leading manufacturers and distributors of microbiological culture media and other diagnostic products, has developed a new diagnostic product ideally suited for the brewing industry.
Cycloheximide, an antibiotic that inhibits yeasts and moulds, now comes in a liquid cycloheximide supplement (SR0222C).
The product can be used to detect micro-organisms in brewery samples. The Cycloheximide supplement is packed in 100ml volume glass bottles with a screw cap and comes in cardboard outer packaging.
The new solution is designed to be easier and safer to use than powder supplements. The solution can be added to a range of media including WL Nutrient Agar (CM0309) for total microbial counts, Raka-Ray Agar (CM0777), which provides a selective medium for the isolation of lactic acid bacteria in beer, and Universal Beer Agar (CM0651).
Traditional culture media have been in use in brewing for a considerable time, but new products aimed at improving and speeding up the process of isolating organisms from food and drink sources are coming onto the market all the time. Recent Oxoid products include a range of chromogenic media for food pathogens.
Indeed, changes in eating habits and food production methods have led to the increased vigilance of such organisms as Listeria, E.coli O157, Salmonella and Legionella.