Application of the Electrical Microbial Growth Analyzer Method for Efficiently Quantifying Viable Bacteria in Ready-to-Eat Sea Cucumber Products

Accurate and efficient quantification of viable bacteria in ready-to-eat food products is crucial for food safety and public health. The rapid and accurate assessment of foodborne bacteria in complex food matrices remains a significant challenge. Herein a culture-based approach was established for easily quantifying viable bacteria in ready-to-eat sea cucumber (RSC) products. Samples of the liquid companion within the package were directly transferred into test tubes to determine bacterial growth curves and growth rate curves, utilizing the electrical microbial growth analyzer. Viable bacteria in the samples were then quantified based on the time required to attain the maximum growth rate indicated on the growth rate curve. At a concentration of 5.0 × 10³ CFU/mL of viable bacteria in the liquid companion, the recovery rates were 108.85–112.77% for <i>Escherichia coli</i> (<i>E. coli</i>) and 107.01–130.54% for <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (<i>S. aureus</i>), with standard deviations of 1.60 and 3.92, respectively. For the solid content in the package, the quantification was performed using the same methodology following an additional homogenization step. At a concentration of 5.0 × 10³ CFU/mL of viable bacteria in the sample, the recovery rates were 91.94–102.24% for <i>E. coli</i> and 81.43–104.46% for <i>S. aureus</i>, with standard deviations of 2.34 and 2.38, respectively. In instances where the viable bacterial concentration was 5.0 × 10³ CFU/mL in RSC products, the total time required for the quantification did not exceed 10.5 h. This method demonstrated advantages over traditional plate counting and PCR methods regarding simplicity and efficiency, representing a promising alternative for the quantification of viable bacteria in food like RSC products.