Non-selective and selective enrichment media for the recovery of Clostridium difficile from chopped beef

• Bacteria present in beef survived in selective enrichment media (TCCFB and TCDMN).
• Antibiotics in TCCFB and TCDMN adversely affected the growth of C. difficile.
• Efficiency of C. difficile recovery in TCCFB and TCDMN was poor.
• TCM was the most suitable medium for C. difficile recovery from beef.

Clostridium difficile exists within the intestines of animals and in meat products. Enrichment of C. difficile in an appropriate medium is necessary for the detection of C. difficile in meat products. Non-selective media (brain heart infusion medium [TBHI] and cooked meat medium containing sodium taurocholate [TCM]) and selective media (cycloserine-cefoxitin-fructose medium [TCCFB] and C. difficile moxalactam-norfloxacin medium containing antibiotics and sodium taurocholate [TCDMN]) can be used to enrich C. difficile. This study aimed to evaluate non-selective and selective enrichment media for the recovery of C. difficile from beef specimens. The efficiency of the enrichment media was investigated on the basis of the recovery frequency of C. difficile from beef specimens inoculated with C. difficile. The beef specimens were inherently contaminated with bacteria (around 104 CFU g− 1), and further inoculated with C. difficile (around 100 CFU g− 1). The antibiotics in TCCFB and TCDMN adversely affected C. difficile growth. The bacteria inherent to these specimens exhibited resistance to antibiotics and grew during the enrichment of C. difficile-inoculated chopped beef in TCCFB and TCDMN, which hindered the recovery of C. difficile. The frequency of recovery of C. difficile from beef specimens in TCM was higher than that from any other enrichment medium.