TraditionalREF 610098
Organism · Solutions
Vibrio testing
Vibrio is a seafood organism — naturally present in marine and estuarine waters rather than introduced by contamination, which makes it a sourcing and temperature-control problem more than a hygiene one.
Green and yellow colonies · TCBS agar
Why Vibrio testing is demanding
Vibrio species are naturally occurring in marine and estuarine environments, which distinguishes them from most food pathogens. Their presence in raw seafood does not indicate a hygiene failure; it reflects the water the product came from, and their numbers rise with water temperature.
V. parahaemolyticus and V. cholerae are the species of primary concern, with V. vulnificus relevant for shellfish specifically. Because the organisms multiply rapidly at ambient temperature, cold-chain integrity between harvest and processing does more to control risk than any downstream intervention.
Selective isolation on TCBS agar separates the species by sucrose fermentation, giving green and yellow colonies. Confirmation is essential, because TCBS supports a range of marine organisms that can be mistaken for the targets, and because species identity determines the significance of the result.
- Origin
- Naturally occurring
- Typical criterion
- Absence in 25 g
- Reference method
- ISO 21872-1
- Culture result
- 2–3 days
Methods compared
Isolation is straightforward — confirmation is where the result is made.
- Traditional · ISO 21872-1TCBS isolation
Alkaline saline peptone water enrichment followed by isolation on TCBS agar, then biochemical confirmation to species level.
Time to result2–3 days - RapidChromogenic differentiation
Chromogenic media that differentiate V. parahaemolyticus at the plate-reading stage, reducing the confirmation burden on presumptive colonies.
Time to result24–48 h - Molecular · PCRSpecies and virulence typing
PCR distinguishing species and detecting virulence genes — the practical route where species identity determines whether a result matters.
Time to resultSame day, post-enrichment
Cold chain between harvest and test does more than any downstream control.
Ask usProducts for Vibrio testing
A selection spanning culture media, rapid formats and molecular assays. The full range is in the catalogue.
Standards & compliance
The references a Vibrio programme is measured against.
- ISO 21872-1
- Horizontal method for the determination of Vibrio spp. — detection of potentially enteropathogenic V. parahaemolyticus, V. cholerae and V. vulnificus.
- AOAC validation
- Molecular Vibrio assays carry AOAC validation; confirm coverage for the shellfish or finfish matrix you test.
- SFDA
- Supplied through an SFDA-licensed establishment, aligned to Kingdom requirements for the matrices you test.
- ISO/IEC 17025
- Suitable for accredited laboratories, with lot documentation and traceability available on request.
Sourced from the brands your methods are built on.
Testing for Vibrio?
Tell us your matrix and how fast you need a release decision — we'll recommend the method and respond with pricing, availability and lead time.