Easy Plate EC rapid test plate for E. coli and coliforms | Kikkoman

1. Introduction to the Easy Plate medium plate

– Easy Plate is a convenient ready-prepared medium plate that needs no preparation or sterilisation. Easy Plate is an easy-to-use alternative to preparing media in-house with traditional medium plates, saving time and effort and reducing waste.

- The Easy Plate EC is a microbiological testing medium plate developed by Kikkoman Biochemifa (Japan). It is a dry, ready-to-use medium plate designed specifically to detect and quantify Coliforms and Escherichia coli (E. coli) in food, drinking water and other test samples. E. coli colonies range from violet-blue to sea blue, while coliform colonies that are not E. coli appear pink to red-violet when two chromogenic substrates are used.

– The plate is compact (55 mm), easy to use and needs no medium preparation or sterilisation, which shortens testing time and optimises the workflow.

– Using Easy Plate as a food microbiology test tool – with a volume of only about 1/20 that of a conventional petri dish – saves space and lets you run more tests in your existing incubator. Easy Plate is pre-packaged, so as soon as you open the packaging you can place the sample suspension on the medium and start incubation.

– The plate is designed as a dry medium sheet that is already set and ready to use without any medium preparation or disinfection.

2. Technical specifications of the Easy Plate EC rapid test plate for E. coli and coliforms

– Product name: Easy Plate EC medium plate

– Product code: 61975

– Application: rapid testing of E. coli and coliforms

– Incubation time: 24 ± 1 hours

– Incubation temperature: 35 ± 1℃

– Storage conditions (unopened): 2 – 8℃

– After opening: fold the opened end of the pouch at least twice and seal it with tape. Store in a refrigerator (2 to 8 °C) and use within 3 months.

– Shelf life: 18 months from the date of manufacture

– Certification: AOAC RI PTM certified (Licence No. 031601).

3. Principle

– Selective principle: the Easy Plate EC contains selective inhibitors that allow Coliforms and E. coli to grow while limiting unwanted microorganisms.

– Determination and counting of colonies is easier than with other media such as traditional agar, because the colonies are coloured and no confirmation of gas bubbles or colony size is needed.

– High correlation with traditional agar plates across different food types. *

– Colonies of E. coli O157: H7: although most E. coli produce β-glucuronidase, E. coli O157: H7 does not produce β-glucuronidase to a notable extent and therefore appears red-violet, like coliforms.

– Colour of the plate surface caused by enzymes present in the food: in some unheated foods and dairy products, residual enzymes in the food can cause red-violet colour to develop across the whole incubated area. If colony visibility is affected, using dilution solutions may improve the result.

4. Key advantages of the Easy Plate EC

Compared with the traditional pour plate method, Easy Plate EC offers several superior benefits:

– Convenient and fast: no medium preparation is needed, the plate can be used immediately, saving laboratory time.

– Easy handling: simply pipette the sample (1 mL) directly onto the plate, cover with the film lid and incubate at the appropriate temperature.

– Visual, easy-to-read results: Coliform and E. coli colonies show characteristic colours that make them easy to distinguish and count.

– High testing efficiency: the plate is standardised to international standards, ensuring high accuracy and repeatability.

– Saves storage space: the plate can be stored refrigerated in a compact size and is easy to transport.

– Safe and clean: minimises contact with liquid culture media and reduces the risk of cross-contamination.

5. Applications

The Easy Plate EC is widely used in many fields, especially food safety quality control and drinking water:

– Food: meat, seafood, milk and dairy products, confectionery, processed fruit and vegetables, packaged foods.

– Drinking water and beverages: quality assessment of bottled drinking water, purified water and soft drinks.

– Pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry: hygiene parameter testing as required by quality management.

– Testing and research bodies: used in laboratories, testing institutes and universities.

6. Examples

– Reference E. coli coliform strains on the Easy Plate EC

– Food samples on the Easy Plate EC E. coli Coliform

PacificLAB is the official distributor of Kikkoman Easy Plate products in Vietnam. Please contact us for a quotation and detailed information about this product.