When it comes to B. cereus, you want to be sure.
ISO-validated Bacillus cereus testing with Neogen® Petrifilm®
Neogen® Petrifilm® Bacillus cereus Count Plates are a proven alternative to the MYP reference method for food safety laboratories. Petrifilm plates are ready to use straight from the package, eliminating agar preparation, antibiotic supplements, and drying steps required by traditional methods.
Their compact format reduces incubator and laboratory space requirements. Fewer handling steps help minimise variability between analysts while supporting consistent, easy-to-interpret results.
It’s easy to use. Easy to read.* Easy to interpret.*
*Compared to traditional reference method agar.*
Ready to bring these benefits to your lab?
Talk to our team to see if Petrifilm Bacillus cereus Count Plates are the right fit for your workflow.
Rapid Detection of Bacillus Cereus with Neogen’s Petrifilm® Bacillus cereus Count Plate
The Petrifilm B. cereus Count Plate provides comprehensive testing for the entire sensu lato groups, including B. cytotoxicus, returning easy-to-interpret results in as few as 20 hours.
The ready-to-use Petrifilm Count Plate eliminates the prep work associated with traditional agar methods, while delivering confidence and accuracy in microbial testing. By utilising this solution, food safety professionals can enhance safety protocols within their laboratories.
Simple
Ready-to-use plates remove the need to handle antibiotic supplements or hazardous substrates.
Comprehensive
Tests for the entire Bacillus cereus sensu lato group, including B. cytotoxicus.
Complete
The selective and differential medium allows enumeration of Bacillus cereus without confirmation.
Four steps to results, imagine what you could do with the saved time!
The preparation of MYP agar for the detection of Bacillus cereus can be laborious and requires the handling of hazardous substrates that are perishable and need refrigeration.
In addition, ISO 7932 recommends drying steps for this agar before and after inoculation of the sample which adds time to the process.
With Petrifilm Bacillus cereus Plates, you can obtain results in just four easy steps.
On-Demand Webinar
Unlocking Food Safety: Understanding & Detecting Bacillus cereus in Australia & New Zealand
Bacillus cereus can be difficult to detect and control. In this one-hour webinar:
- Associate Professor, Julian Cox discusses the risks and challenges of B. cereus contamination, along with practical strategies for managing it.
- Neogen Technical Specialist, John Fam introduces a practical approach to testing with the Neogen® Petrifilm® Bacillus cereus Count Plate.
Clearly the better choice for colony counting
Why choose complexity when simplicity is an option? The Petrifilm Bacillus cereus Count Plate is easy to interpret, featuring clear colonies instead of the swarming morphologies you get with the traditional reference method.
MicroVal Approval
MicroVal is an international certification organisation for the validation and approval of alternative methods for the microbiological analysis of food and beverages. MicroVal facilitates validation and certification against ISO 16140-2:2016, ISO 16140-6:2019 and other validation standards.
Neogen is proud to share that the Bacillus cereus plate that was recently released in December 2024 has received MicroVal approval. This approval is certified under MicroVal certificate number 2023LR132, in compliance with ISO 16140-2, and validated against ISO 7932.
| SKU/Part Number | Target Bacteria | Incubation | Validation Range | Certification Number | Certification PDF File |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 700006920/6482 Petrifilm Bacillus cereus Count Plates, 50 ct. & 700006921/6483 Petrifilm Bacillus cereus Count Plates, 500 ct. | Bacillus cereus | Incubate Petrifilm BC Plates 20-24 hours at 30ºC ± 1ºC | Broad range of foods and animal feed | 2023LR132 | MicroVal Certification Letter |
AOAC OMA and PTM Approval
We’re also proud to share that the Petrifilm® Bacillus cereus Count Plate has now received AOAC approval. This includes Official Method of Analysis (OMA) 2025.01 and Performance Tested Method (PTM) #042502 certification.
The method is validated against ISO 7932 and FDA BAM Chapter 14 and covers a broad range of food and selected pet food products. Incubation is 20 to 24 hours at either 30.0°C ± 1.0°C or 35.0 ± 1.0°C.
This achievement reflects Neogen’s commitment to providing solutions that align with international standards and support your lab’s food safety goals.
| SKU/Part Number | Description | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|
| 700006920/6482 Petrifilm Bacillus cereus Count Plates, 50 ct. & 700006921/6483 Petrifilm Bacillus cereus Count Plates, 500 ct. | Updated Validation Approval | April 11, 2025 |
Learn More About B. Cereus Petrifilm
Fill out the form below to speak with a Neogen technical specialist and discover how Neogen® Petrifilm® Bacillus cereus Count Plates can improve your workflow and compliance.
About Bacillus cereus
Bacillus cereus is a spore-forming bacteria that causes both food poisoning and food spoilage. It’s particularly concerning because its spores survive normal cooking temperatures and can grow once food cools. B. cereus creates two types of illness: a diarrheal type that develops 12-24 hours after eating contaminated food, and a faster-acting vomiting type that hits within 30 minutes to 6 hours.
B. cereus originates from soil and water as is commonly found in rice, vegetables, meat, powders and spices. The presence of B. cereus in processed foods results from contamination of raw materials and the subsequent resistance of spores to thermal and other manufacturing processes. During the cooling processes, spores may germinate, enabling B. cereus to multiply in the food and/or produce high levels of the emetic toxin cereulide, depending on the strain(s) present. Foods incriminated in past outbreaks include cooked meat and vegetables, boiled or fried rice, vanilla sauce, custards, soups, dairy, and raw vegetable sprouts.
Testing matters at every stage – from raw materials to finished products. Different foods have different safety thresholds, ranging from strict limits in infant foods to higher tolerances in standard ready-to-eat meals. For dairy products, keeping counts below 100 CFU/g is crucial for both safety and quality.
Unlike traditional methods that need complex media preparation and long incubation times, Petrifilm plates are ready to use. You get accurate counts faster, helping you release safe products on schedule.
