A system utilizing the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the BAXTM, was compared and validated against standard selective/enrichment assays to detect the presence of Salmonella spp. in artificially contaminated samples of raw materials and cosmetic/pharmaceutical products. After a 24 h incubation in lactose broth or lactose broth with Tween 20, the inoculated samples were analyzed both by the BAXTM system and by standard enrichment/selective methods. Standard enrichment assays required 5–7 days to confirm the presence and identification of Salmonella typhimurium, while the BAXTM system reduced the detection time to 30 h. The BAXTM system allowed a faster quality control evaluation of those raw materials and cosmetic/pharmaceutical formulations that require Salmonella spp. screening.

An assessment of the new TECRA™ Staphylococcus aureus Visual Immunoassay (VIA) was conducted to detect the presence of Staphylococcus aureus in cosmetic/pharmaceutical raw materials and finished products. Samples were inoculated with pure cultures of Staphylococcus aureus. In addition, a mixed bacterial inoculum of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was used to inoculate samples of raw materials and finished products. After a 24 h incubation period at 35C, each enrichment broth was analyzed for the presence of Staphylococcus aureus by the standard conventional method and the TECRA™ VIA. The following preenrichment broths were analyzed: the TECRA™ Staphylococcus Growth Medium, a modified version of the TECRA™ Staphylococcus Growth Medium with 4% Tween 20. Tryptic Soy Broth (TSB), and TSB with 4% Tween 20. Uninoculated enrichment broth samples were used as negative test controls. There was a 100% correlation between the visual immunoassay and the standard method in both pure and mixed culture studies for the detection of Staphylococcus aureus in preenrichment samples of the modified TECRA™ Staphylococcus Growth Medium and TSB. However, the TECRA™ VIA detected Staphylococcus aureus in 26 h while standard USP detection method required 4–5 days to be completed. These test results indicate that the TECRA™ Staphylococcus aureus VIA is equivalent to the conventional method for detecting the presence of Staphylococcus aureus contamination in cosmetic/pharmaceutical finished products and raw materials, but in a considerably shorter period of time. Furthermore, the TECRA™ Staphylococcus aureus VIA provides a user‐friendly alternative to the standard conventional method for the detection of Staphylococcus aureus contamination.

A study was performed to compare the Millipore Digital Total Count System with a standard membrane filtration procedure in enumerating the number of microorganisms present in several types of water samples (e.g., Hot/Cold Deionized, Tap, and RO/Ultra Filtration). Water samples were collected over a 4 month period. Statistical data analysis demonstrated an overall correlation of greater than 82% between the two test methodologies. The linearity of the microbial counts between both test methods was compared by artificially contaminating sterile water samples with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The linearity of the microbial counts between both methods was found to be greater than 96%. The Millipore Digital Total Count System was found to be comparable to the standard membrane filtration method in determining the number of microorganisms in a water sample. In conclusion, the Millipore Digital Total Count System was able to provide a 24 h enumeration of microorganisms present in a water sample. This rapid enumeration allows for a faster quality evaluation of water samples from an industrial water system that is used in the manufacture of cosmetic/pharmaceutical products.