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Description

MacConkey Agar is a weakly differential medium for the selective growth of Enterobacteriaceae, specifically E. coli, from pharmaceutical products, food, water, and other materials. Enterobacteriaceae can be identified even in the presence of Salmonella and Shigella. Bile salts and crystal violet inhibit the growth of the Gram-positive microbial flora. Lactose and the pH indicator neutral red enable detection of lactose degradation. Bacteria degrading lactose to acids grow in pink to red-coloured colonies. Bacteria that cannot utilize lactose will grow colourless. Escherichia coli and other acid-forming bacteria will show a zone of precipitated bile salt around the colonies.The formulation of the medium (MacConkey Agar) is prepared as per recommendations of the current European, Japanese, and United States Pharmacopoeia and supplemented with neutralizers.