Merck Millipore’s CCA used by ISO for E. coli water samples

Merck Millipore, the Life Science division of Merck, has announced that its Chromocult Coliform Agar (CCA) has been used by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as a medium to develop a revised standard for enumerating coliform bacteria and E. coli in water samples, replacing the Lactose TTC agar.

The completely revised ISO 9308-1 standard came into effect as of September 14th 2014.

Merck Millipore’s CCA is available as a dehydrated culture medium and ready-to-use agar plate and has been approved by the US’ Environmental Protection Agency for the detection and enumeration of E.coli and coliform bacteria in water.

CCA is based on enzymatic reactions that distinctly colour the colonies that target organisms. It helps to combat waterborne pathogens as it provides improved testing, quicker results and easier lab procedures compared to its rivals.

John Sweeney, head of lab solutions at Merck Millipore, commented: “Detection of potential pathogens in water is a critical function for a company to manage quality control microbiological workflow and essential for reducing the risk of contamination and ensuring consumer safety.”

He added that the company is proud that its CCA is the only culture medium to meet the stringent requirements of the ISO 9308-1, adding that it is testament to the firm’s expertise and leadership in microbial detection and commitment to offering the most innovative products.