COOKED MEAT MEDIUM ,(/,)/,(

Cooked meat is recommended for use a general culture medium for both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. The medium is mainly finely chopped pieces of beef heart, sucrose and salt. The by-products of microbial growth in this medium do not destroy various bacteria. Hence Clostridia survive for 10 years, Gram negative enterics for 5 years and Staphylococci for 6 months. The unsaturated fatty acids in the medium will take up most of the oxygen, particularly when catalyzed by the hematin released for the meat, allowing for growth of strict anaerobes without the aid of anaerobic jars. If stored for over one week,. Excess oxygen may be driven off by boiling the medium prior to use. Saccharolytic organisms usually produce acid and gas. Growth of proteolytic organisms is generally characterized by blackening and dissolution of the meat particles.