Evaluation of the 3M™ Petrifilm™ Rapid Yeast and Mold Count Plate for the Enumeration of Yeast and Mold in Food: Collaborative Study, First Action 2014.05.

The 3M™ Petrifilm™ Rapid Yeast and Mold (RYM) Count Plate is a simple, ready-to-use chromogenic culture method for the rapid detection and enumeration of yeast and mold in food products. The 3M Petrifilm RYM Count Plate method was compared to the U. S. Food and Drug Administration Bacteriological Analytical Manual (FDA BAM) Chapter 18, Yeasts, Molds and Mycotoxins and the ISO 21527:2008 Microbiology of Food and Animal Feeding Stuffs-Horizontal Method for the Enumeration for Yeast and Molds - Part 1: Colony Count Technique in Products with Water Activity Greater Than 0.95 and Part 2: Colony Count Technique in Products with Water Activity Less Than or Equal to 0.95 reference methods for raw almonds and raw frozen ground beef patties (77% lean). The 3M Petrifilm RYM Count Plate method was evaluated using a paired study design in a multi-laboratory collaborative study following the current AOAC Validation Guidelines. Three target contamination levels (low, 10-100 CFU/g; medium, 100-1000 CFU/g; high 1000-10 000 CFU/g) as well as an uninoculated control level (0 CFU/g) were evaluated for each matrix. Samples evaluated by the 3M Petrifilm RYM Count Plate method were prepared in duplicate and incubated at both 25°C and 28°C. Plates at both temperatures were enumerated after 48 and 60 h of incubation. No significant difference was observed between the 3M Petrifilm RYM Count Plate method and the FDA BAM or ISO 21527 reference methods for each contamination level. No statistical differences were observed between samples analyzed by the 3M Petrifilm RYM Count Plate method (at either 25°C or 28°C) and the reference methods. No statistical significant differences were observed between enumeration of colonies at 48 and 60 h on the 3M Petrifilm RYM Count Plate method and the reference methods.