Rates of Recovery of Enterobacter sakazakii (Cronobacter spp.) from Powdered Infant Formula Using Both a Chromogenic Agar and Real-Time PCR: A Preliminary Study

Although the number of incidences of illness caused by ingestion of the bacterial pathogen Enterobacter sakazakii (Cronobacter spp.) has dramatically declined, there remains a need for a robust isolation method to recover this microbe from powdered infant formula (PIF). The current method described in the FDA’s Bacteriological Analytical Manual requires multiple steps, and 3-4+ days for complete analysis of PIF isolated E. sakazakii (Cronobacter spp.). We describe a bacteriological method including a one-step enrichment followed by plating on chromogenic agar for presumptive identification of E. sakazakii (Cronobacter spp.). Suspected colonies are confirmed by either biochemical analyses, or a Real-Time PCR-based assay. Using this method, E. sakazakii (Cronobacter spp.) in PIF can be isolated and identified within one day (24 hours).