PURPOSE: To obtain the subject culture medium having a composition of an assimilating component composed of yeast extract, glucose and starch and having pH controlling to a specific range and capable of selectively and efficiently detecting thermotolerant acid-fast bacilli capable of proliferating in an acidic fruit juice or an acidic beverage containing the fruit juice.

CONSTITUTION: This selection medium for detecting thermotolerant acid-fast bacilli capable of proliferating in an acidic fruit juice or an acidic beverage containing the acidic fruit juice is obtained by blending a yeast extract with glucose and starch, dissolving the blend in water, controlling pH of the solution to 3-5, further, adding agar agar thereto, heating the solution, pouring the solution into a sterilized Petri dish, allowing to cool the solution. Furthermore, thermotolerant acid-fast bacilli capable of proliferating in acidic fruit juice or acidic beverage containing the acidic fruit juice is selectively and efficiently detecting by culturing the examination sample of the acidic fruit juice or acidic beverage containing the acidic fruit juice at a relatively high temperature within the range of 40-60°C using this selective culture medium.