3 Petrifilm E.

coli Count Plate Conversion Table

Results from Most Probable Number

(MPN) Results Conversion Table

The 3M Petrifilm E. coli Count (EC) Plate method meets the criteria of several major global validating
organizations.1 Although the Petrifilm EC Plate count method is an acceptable alternative to the Most
Probable Number (MPN) method, laboratories occasionally have the need to determine Petrifilm EC Plate
counts from MPN results. These laboratories have the MPN results for a food sample and are interested in
determining the Petrifilm EC Plate count. Based on several studies, Table 1 was developed to show the
relationship between MPN results and Petrifilm EC Plate counts.

Escherichia coli counts in flour, peanut butter, nut pieces, pepper, sausage, ground pork, beef with gravy,
shrimp, frozen potatoes, macaroni, liquid eggs, lettuce, and raw milk were recorded by an independent
laboratory during an AOAC Precollaborative Study (unpublished) using the Petrifilm EC Plate method and
the MPN method. Three hundred forty-eight samples were used in the analysis. The relationship between
the two methods is described by the following equation:

(log Petrifilm EC Plate result) = 0.37 + 0.90 * (log MPN result)

Using this equation, the Petrifilm EC Plate results can be calculated from a known MPN result.
Table 1 conveniently lists Petrifilm EC Plate results from many known MPN sequences. Simply read
across the row in order to determine the Petrifilm EC result from the MPN result.

Since one study cannot represent all foods and all situations, each food operation needs to verify the
relationship for its specific application.

1.
Official Recognitions for the Petrifilm E. coli Count Plate:
AOAC Official Methods of Analysis, USA: Method # 991.14
Health Protection Branch (HPB), Canada: Method MFHPB-34
Nordic Committee on Food Analysis (NMKL): Method NMKL 147.1993
Venezuelan Commission of Industrial Standards: Covenin 3276:1997 3 Microbiology
 Table 1. MPN to Petrifilm EC Plate Results Conversion Table
MPN index (starting at Petrifilm EC Count
MPN Sequence 1:10 dilution) Plate result

0 0 0 <3.0 <6.0
0 0 1 3.01 6
0 1 0 3.05 6
0 1 1 6.11 12
0 2 0 6.19 12
0 3 0 9.44 18
1 0 0 3.57 7
1 0 1 7.23 14
1 0 2 11 20
1 1 0 7.36 14
1 1 1 11.2 21
1 2 0 11.4 21
1 2 1 15.4 27
1 3 0 15.7 28
2 0 0 9.18 17
2 0 1 14.3 26
2 0 2 19.9 35
2 1 0 14.7 26
2 1 1 20.5 36
2 1 2 26.8 45
2 2 0 21.1 36
2 2 1 27.6 46
2 2 2 34.8 57
2 3 0 28.6 48
2 3 1 36 59
3 0 0 23.1 40
3 0 1 38.5 63
3 0 2 63.6 98
3 1 0 42.7 69
3 1 1 74.9 114
3 1 2 115 168
3 1 3 159 225
3 2 0 93.3 139
3 2 1 149 212
3 2 2 215 295
3 2 3 292 388
3 3 0 240 325
3 3 1 462 586
3 3 2 1100 1280
3 3 3 >1100 >1280

Note: MPN results based on a 3 tube MPN starting at a 1:10 dilution (i.e., 3 tubes at 1:10, 3 tubes at 1:100 and 3 tubes at 1:1000).

3
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