2.2. Conductimetry equipment
The R.A.B.I.T. instrument (Don Whitley Scientific, Shipley, UK)
was used to indirectly measure microbial growth in media and food
matrices based on CO2 impedance of electrical conductance
through a potassium hydroxide agar solution. The system consists
of a sterile R.A.B.I.T. cell into which was pipetted 700 ml of the
detection medium consisting of equal volumes of 0.35% w/v KOH
solution and 2% w/v agar. The tubes were tightly stoppered, allowed
to stabilize for 3 h and only used provided the initial conductance