Chocolate Agar, 90mm Prepared Plate, 10/Pack

It is intended for in vitro diagnostic use only and is designed exclusively for professional testing. Carefully read and follow the instructions for use.

Chocolate agar plates are a specialised microbiological culture medium supplied in 90mm Petri dishes, designed for the isolation and cultivation of fastidious microorganisms.

These prepared chocolate agar Petri plates are widely used in clinical and diagnostic laboratories to support the recovery of demanding bacterial species from various specimen types.

Microbiological Application & Target Organisms

This enriched chocolate agar medium is particularly suited for the isolation of fastidious bacteria, including species of Neisseria and Haemophilus.

The formulation supports organisms that require additional growth factors not readily available in standard nutrient media, making these chocolate agar culture plates suitable for primary isolation and subculturing applications.

Media Composition & Growth Principle

The agar base is enriched with 5% horse blood that has been heated to approximately 70°C, resulting in lysis of red blood cells. This process releases essential growth factors such as hemin (X factor), which is critical for organisms including Neisseria, Haemophilus and Helicobacter. A growth supplement provides nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), a thermosensitive factor not naturally present in blood, which further enhances the growth of fastidious strains.

Required Equipment & Laboratory Materials

Use of chocolate agar culture media requires appropriate laboratory equipment, including a bacteriology incubator and, where required, a CO2 incubator or controlled atmosphere generation systems. Incubation jars may also be used to maintain suitable atmospheric conditions for optimal organism growth.

Warnings, Limitations & Safety Precautions

This chocolate agar IVD product is intended for in vitro diagnostic use by trained professionals only. The medium contains materials of animal origin and should be handled as potentially infectious. All specimens, cultures and inoculated plates must be treated as biohazardous, with aseptic technique and standard microbiological safety practices followed at all times.

Plates must not be used beyond the expiry date, if the packaging is damaged, if contamination is evident, or if excess moisture is present.

Storage Conditions & Handling

These plates should be stored in their original packaging at 2–8°C until the stated expiry date. The product must be protected from moisture, incompatible materials and exposure to contaminated air to maintain media integrity and performance.

Waste Disposal & Regulatory Information

Unused media may be disposed of as non-hazardous waste where appropriate. All used plates, cultures and contaminated materials must be discarded according to procedures for infectious or potentially infectious waste.

This microbiological culture medium is not classified as hazardous under the Globally Harmonised System and is not considered a Dangerous Good for transport within Australia.

Product Features

• Enriched Chocolate Agar Medium: Supports the reliable growth of fastidious organisms by supplying essential X and V growth factors.
• Ready-to-use 90mm Petri Plates: Saves preparation time and ensures consistent media quality across batches.
• Optimised for Clinical Isolates: Suitable for Neisseria, Haemophilus, and other demanding bacterial species.
• Heated Blood Formulation: Facilitates red blood cell lysis to enhance nutrient availability and organism recovery.
• IVD-Compliant Culture Medium: Designed for professional diagnostic laboratory use in accordance with applicable standards.
• Controlled Storage Stability: Maintains performance when stored at recommended refrigerated conditions.