Columbia Blood Agar Base w/1% Agar is a general-purpose nutritious agar base further enriched by the addition of sterile blood. Traditionally blood agar bases have incorporated either casein hydrolysate to give rapid production of large colonies or meat infusion to give defined hemolytic reactions. The media combines both to give an improved all round performance. Columbia Blood HiCynth™ Agar Base w/1% Agar is the modification of the same, but prepared by replacing animal and vegetable peptones with chemically defined peptones to avoid BSE/TSE risks associated with animal peptones.