This monograph has been reviewed by members of the IUMS–ICFMH Working Party on Culture Media and given ‘Proposed’ status.

This agar medium for the differentiation of Salmonella spp. from other members of the family Enterobacteriaceae was described by Rambach (1990). It exploits a novel phenotypic characteristic of Salmonella spp.: the formation of acid from propylene glycol. This characteristic is used in combination with a chromogenic indicator of β-galactosidase to differentiate Salmonella spp. from Proteus spp. and from other members of the Enterobacteriaceae. Deoxycholate is included in the medium as an inhibitor of Gram-positive organisms. Salmonellae, other than Salmonella typhi, yield distinct, bright red colonies on the medium, allowing easy identification and unambiguous differentiation from Proteus spp.