Nutrient Broth is used for the cultivation of a wide variety of microorganisms. Nutrient Broth is not intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions in humans.
In the early 1900’s, the American Public Health Association (APHA) suggested the formula of Nutrient Agar as a standard culture medium used in water testing. Nutrient Broth is the same formulation as Nutrient Agar, only Agar has been omitted.
Nutrient Broth is used as a pre-enrichment medium when testing certain foods and dairy products for Salmonella spp. In dried or processed foods, salmonellae may be sub-lethally injured and in low numbers. The presence of other bacteria and food sample components may hinder growth and recovery of Salmonella spp. Pre-enrichment in a nonselective medium such as Nutrient Broth allows for cell damage repair, dilutes toxic or inhibitory substances, and provides a nutritional advantage to Salmonella over other bacteria.
Nutrient Broth is included in many standard methods procedures for testing food, dairy products, and other materials.
