1. Introduction to Easy Plate

- Easy Plate is a convenient ready-to-use culture medium plate that does not require any preparation or sterilization. It serves as an easy-to-use alternative to conventional agar plate preparation, saving time, effort, and reducing waste.

- The Easy Plate SA is a ready-to-use culture medium plate developed by Kikkoman Biochemifa (Japan), specifically designed for the detection and enumeration of Staphylococcus aureus – an important pathogenic bacterium commonly found in food, drinking water, cosmetics, and production environments.

- This is a dry, sterile medium plate that requires no complicated preparation steps, helping laboratories save time and improve the efficiency of microbiological analysis.

- Using Easy Plate as a food microbiology testing tool – with a volume of only about 1/20 of a conventional petri dish – saves space and allows more tests to be performed with the same incubator capacity. Easy Plate is individually packaged, and once the package is opened, the sample suspension can be applied directly onto the medium and incubation can begin immediately.

- The plate is designed as a dry medium sheet that is pre-measured and ready for immediate use without the need for media preparation or sterilization.

2. Specifications Easy Plate SA

- Product name: Easy Plate SA

- Product code: 61976

- Application: Rapid detection of Staphylococcus aureus

- Incubation time: 24 ± 1 hours

- Storage condition (unopened): 2 – 8℃

- Incubation temperature: 35 or 37 ± 1℃

- After opening: Fold the opened edge at least twice, seal with tape, store in refrigerator (2 – 8℃), and use within 3 months.

- Shelf life: 18 months from the date of manufacture

- Certification: AOAC RI PTM certified

3. Principle

- The Easy Plate SA contains a selective medium specifically for Staphylococcus aureus.

- When the sample is applied onto the plate, bacteria present in the sample grow on the surface of the membrane sheet impregnated with medium.

- After the appropriate incubation time (usually 24–48 hours at 35–37°C), S. aureus colonies appear with distinctive color and morphology, making them easy to identify and count.

- Colonies can be easily distinguished by their bright color within 24 hours. Identification is easier compared to conventional agar media since the color change eliminates the need for egg yolk reaction confirmation.

- Incubation time is shortened to 24 hours, improving reporting efficiency.

- Only one plate is required with Easy Plate, while the surface plating method requires three or more plates.

- Some S. aureus strains that show negative egg yolk reactions on conventional agar can still be detected on Easy Plate.

- Many non-S. aureus bacteria are inhibited by the selective medium. Colonies of non-S. aureus organisms, if they grow, are easily recognized as pink to purplish-red.

- High correlation with conventional agar plates across different food types.

- S. aureus colonies appear as blue colonies, making them easy to recognize and count. Non-target organisms, if present, appear pink to purplish-red for clear differentiation.

4. Key Advantages of Easy Plate SA

Compared to conventional pour plate methods, Easy Plate SA provides outstanding benefits:

- Convenience: Ready-to-use dry plates requiring no additional media or equipment.

- Time & labor saving: Simplifies workflow and is user-friendly even for beginners.

- Accuracy & reliability: Selective medium suppresses non-target organisms, ensuring precise enumeration of S. aureus.

- Safety & compact design: Thin, easy to store, and reduces plastic waste compared to conventional petri dishes.

-  International standards: Trusted by laboratories, food factories, and inspection institutes worldwide.

5. Applications

Easy Plate SA is widely used in various fields:

- Food & beverages: Detection of S. aureus in meat, seafood, dairy, processed products, soft drinks, etc.

- Drinking water & purified water: Assessment of microbiological safety.

- Cosmetics & pharmaceuticals: Detection of harmful microorganisms in raw materials and finished products.

- Quality control in production: Monitoring production environments, equipment, and contact surfaces.

6. Examples

- Reference strain of Staphylococcus aureus on Easy Plate SA

- Food samples on Easy Plate SA for Staphylococcus aureus

Pacific Science Technology Euquipment Co.,LTD is the official distributor of Easy Plate products from Kikkoman in Vietnam. Please contact us for quotations and detailed product information.