Arcobacter butzleri, A. cryaerophilus, and A. skirrowii appear as salmon flat to raised colonies, 0.5-1.5 mm in diameter without or without a clear ring after 72 h at 30°C under aerobic conditions. Some pseudomonad-like organisms will appear as 1.5-2.0 mm in diameter, smooth to mucoid, beige to orangish-red colonies.

The NRJ-Arcobacter Chromogenic Plating Medium Agar was developed using a unique chromogenic substrate that detects C-2 esterase activity present in A. butzleri, A. cryaerophilus, and A. skirrowii. Salmon-pigmented colonies are formed when a C-2 esterase enzyme hydrolyzes the chromogenic substrate, leading to the production of a red-colored water-insoluble chromogen. A white opaque background is employed to enhance the visibility of the salmon-colored colonies. Other closely-related microoganisms, such as Helicobacter, Wolinella, and non-thermophilic Campylobacter species, do not have the ability to utilize the chromogenic substrate or they are eliminated by the specific incubation conditions and selective components present in the plating medium.

Poultry, meat, dairy products, and untreated drinking water.

See Product Brochure, Use Protocol, SDS, Certificate of Analysis and Medium Preparation for more information about our medium.

1. Our medium is the first chromogenic plating medium to specifically isolate A. butzleri, A. cryaerophilus, and A. skirrowii.

2. The use of our highly selective and differential detection system enables superior selectivity and sensitivity in isolating A. butzleri, A. cryaerophilus, and A. skirrowii compared to alternative media.

3. The water-insoluble chromogen allows for the easy identification of presumptive positive Arcobacter colonies, resulting in faster confirmation testing and reduced consumable costs.

4. The shelf life of prepared plates remains stable for at least 60 days, stored in the dark at 2-8°C. One bottle of plating medium powder and one box of supplements will make approximately 250-270 plates.

1. Nguyen, P.T., K. Tuz, O. Juárez, and L. Restaino. 2023. Comparison of Two Culture-Based Detection Systems for the Isolation of Arcobacter butzleri, Arcobacter cryaerophilus, and Arcobacter skirrowii in Raw Ground Poultry. J. Food Prot. 86(3): 100057.

2. Nguyen, P.T., K. Tuz, O. Juárez, and L. Restaino. 2022. NRJ Media as the Gold-Standard Arcobacter-specific Detection System: Applications in Poultry Testing. Front. Microbiol. 13.903079.

3. Nguyen, P.T., O. Juárez, and L. Restaino. 2021. A New Method for Detection of Arcobacter butzleri, A. cryaerophilus, and A. skirrowii using a Novel Chromogenic Agar. J. Food Prot. 84(1): 160-168