Food microbiology: a standardized method for detecting salmonella
Salmonella is one of the leading causes of food poisoning. Since April 2017, specialized laboratories have been able to rely on a new standardized testing method to detect it.
Food safety
Eggs, dairy products, undercooked meat… Salmonella bacteria can be found in certain food products. Symptoms are mild for most people (nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, etc.), but they can lead to more serious infections in young children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems.
To prevent any health risks, there are laboratories that specialize in food microbiology. Before a food product is distributed or sold, these laboratories analyze it and measure the concentration of harmful bacteria.
But these laboratories must also rely on analytical methods that are reliable, effective, and widely accepted. That’s where voluntary standardization comes in!
Salmonella: A Unique Detection Method
Published in April 2017, the voluntary European and international standard EN ISO 6579-1 provides a validated method for detecting Salmonella in food, environmental samples, and primary production samples (dust, surfaces, etc.). Written by professionals for professionals, the standard describes each essential step in the proper detection of Salmonella: sample selection, biochemical assays and serotyping tests, interpretation of test results, and more.
How should the sample be prepared for testing? What equipment should be used? Here too, the voluntary standard EN ISO 6579-1 recommends best practices for effectively detecting most strains of Salmonella. The performance criteria provided are based on validated interlaboratory tests.
To date, three standardized methods have been available: the international standard ISO 6585 for detecting Salmonella in milk and dairy products, ISO 6579 for other foods and animal feed, and its Annex D for samples from the primary production stage.
These three protocols are now consolidated into the EN ISO 6579-1 standard. It took several years of work to combine these methods, update them to reflect scientific and technical advances in microbiological analysis, and refine the method’s performance characteristics.
Laboratories thus have a single, unified method that provides guidelines and best practices approved by consensus.
