A USEFUL AND RAPID METHOD TO RECOVER BACTERIAL-CELLS FROM MILK SAMPLES FOR MICROSCOPIC COUNT

A description is given of a pre-treatment for milk samples which allow s it to be filtered through 0.2 mu m pore-size membrane filters withou t reducing the initial number of bacteria. The efficiency of the metho d was demonstrated in milk samples inoculated with Escherichia coli O2 5:H-42, a food-borne pathogen, by comparison with a control in trypton e soya broth (TSB). No significant differences were found between dire ct microscopic counts in milk samples and controls in TSB.