Pinnacle™ Baird-Parker Medium (ISO)

Product Code: PIN014

Originally introduced in 1962, this medium was developed by Baird-Parker to overcome the problems of recovering damaged Staphylococcus aureus from foodstuffs.

This agar is formulated according to ISO 6888-1:1999+A1:2003 and is in compliance with ISO 6888-3:2003 and ISO 11133:2014. Baird-Parker medium is highly selective by nature, due to the presence of potassium tellurite and lithium chloride.

Tellurite inhibits most coliforms and is also reduced to telluride by S. aureus, giving the typical black colonies. Glycine and sodium pyruvate are both used as growth factors by staphylococci while the pyruvate also neutralises any toxic peroxides that may be formed.

This version of Lab M’s ISO formulated Baird-Parker agar has been prepared with Egg Yolk Tellurite (X085), therefore presumptive S. aureus appear as black colonies demonstrating lecithinase activity (an opaque zone around the colony) and lipase activity (a zone of clearing encircling the opaque zone). Suspected S. aureus colonies should be confirmed with RPF for coagulase or latex agglutination test.

Related Organism(s)

• Staphylococcus