Salmonella detection · selective isolation
Brilliant Green Agar – selective agar for Salmonella
Brilliant Green Agar is a highly selective plating medium for the isolation of Salmonella (other than S. Typhi) from food and pharmaceutical samples. It is used as an additional agar after selective enrichment.
- Salmonella: red to pink-white colonies with a red zone
- Used in USP methods
- Dehydrated powder, 500 g bottle · COLO code PRO7482
How Brilliant Green Agar works
Brilliant green inhibits Gram-positive bacteria and most coliforms. Lactose and sucrose fermenters turn the phenol red indicator yellow, while Salmonella does not ferment these sugars, so its colonies and the surrounding medium stay red.
Typical colony appearance
| Organism | Colonies |
| Salmonella | red to pink-white, surrounded by red medium |
| Lactose / sucrose fermenters | yellow-green, yellow zone |
Applications and practical notes
Brilliant Green Agar is used as an additional plating medium for Salmonella in food and pharmaceutical testing. Typical applications include:
- meat, poultry and egg products
- dairy products
- non-sterile pharmaceutical products
- environmental samples
Working with Brilliant Green Agar: Do not autoclave the medium and avoid overheating. Brilliant Green Agar is not suitable for S. Typhi and Shigella, which are inhibited; for these, XLD or Hektoen Enteric Agar should be used.
Good practice with dehydrated media: keep the bottle tightly closed in a cool, dry place, weigh the powder quickly to avoid moisture uptake, and use fresh distilled or deionised water. Check the pH of each new batch after preparation and before use, and label prepared media with the date. Performance of each lot can be verified with reference strains according to ISO 11133, the standard for the preparation, production, storage and performance testing of culture media.
About the Salmonella culture method: the reference method for Salmonella in the food chain, ISO 6579-1, has four steps: non-selective pre-enrichment, selective enrichment in two broths, plating on two selective agars and confirmation of typical colonies. The FDA BAM Chapter 5 follows the same principle with media adapted to different food types. Rapid tests and identification kits shorten the time to result, but positive screening results are usually confirmed by the culture method. COLO.Science offers products for every step, so that one supplier covers the whole procedure.
Complete sets from one supplier: COLO.Science supplies culture media, supplements, rapid tests, identification kits and QC strains as complete sets for the method you follow. Send us your sample types and standards, and we will prepare an offer with the matching products and documentation.
Brilliant Green Agar is supplied by COLO.Science in the pack sizes listed under Ordering information. For larger quantities, regular deliveries or method-specific sets that include Brilliant Green Agar, please send us a request.
Where Brilliant Green Agar fits in the Salmonella workflow
- Pre-enrichment – Buffered Peptone Water or Lactose Broth
- Selective enrichment – RVS Broth and MKTTn Broth
- Selective isolation – XLD Agar plus a second selective or chromogenic agar
- Confirmation – TSI, Lysine Iron Agar, Urea Agar, latex and biochemical identification
See the complete Salmonella set in the Microbiology Catalogue →
Ordering information
| Product | COLO code | Pack |
|---|---|---|
| Brilliant Green Agar, dehydrated | PRO7482 | 500 g |
| Brilliant Green Phenol Red Agar, dehydrated | PRO7477 | 500 g |
Product notice: preparation, storage conditions and shelf life are given on the label. Technical data on this page are for orientation; the label and the lot documentation apply. B2B prices are quoted net, excluding VAT.
Sales and technical support
COLO LabExperts
Polje ob Sotli 4, SI-3255, Slovenia
Quotations and technical support for culture media and microbiology products across our international sales territory. B2B prices are net, excluding VAT.
COLO.SCIENCE | MICROBIOLOGY SUPPORT
Need the complete set for your method?
Send the sample type, target organism and the standard you follow. COLO.Science will put together the media, supplements, QC strains and confirmation tests for the whole procedure.
