Salmonella species are Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria that live in the intestinal tracts of animals and birds and are one of the most well-known foodborne pathogens. Although other routes of infection exist, humans are usually infected through the ingestion of contaminated meat, poultry, milk, or eggs. However, the risk of infection for a healthy person remains low if food is properly handled and pasteurised/cooked fully.
There are many different serotypes of Salmonella but S. enteritidis and S. typhimurium are the most common strains found in Ireland. A person infected with S. enteritidis can experience abdominal cramps, headache, fever, and diarrhoea which usually last less than a week. More serious cases can result in hospital admission and can have serious implications for the elderly, infants, and immunocompromised population.
According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 53,169 confirmed cases of Salmonellosis in Europe in 2020 – 61 of which were fatal. The widely publicised Salmonella outbreak, which has been linked to Kinder chocolate, is believed to have led to 16 illnesses in Ireland and over 360 across Europe. Apart from the obvious negative impact on human health, outbreaks such as this can have serious ramifications for food manufacturers, both financially and in terms of brand perception and trust.
Does your facility test for Salmonella?
MSC has a range of culture media, QC strains, and rapid detection methods to offer below.
Biokar Culture Media
IRIS Salmonella® Rapid Chromgenic Method (Afnor-validated)
IRIS Salmonella® is a rapid chromogenic method for the detection of Salmonella spp. in human food, feeds, and environmental samples. The method is AFNOR certified according to ISO 16140 standard and the agar can also be used as a secondary isolation medium.
IRIS Salmonella® provides results in under 48 hours, involving an 18-hour enrichment step and 24-hour plate incubation, followed by confirmation of presumptive colonies. The IRIS method also requires only 2 media: the supplemented enrichment broth and an IRIS agar plate.
How to confirm presumptive Salmonella?
- Conventional tests described in standard methods CEN or ISO (including the purification step) using a colony isolated on IRIS Salmonella® Agar.
- Latex test (CONFIRM Salmonella) made directly from a colony isolated on IRIS Salmonella® Agar.
- Traditional Salmonella Media
MSC also offers all your traditional Salmonella media, including:
- Bismuth Sulfite Agar (BSA)
- Brilliant Green Agar (BGA)
- Hektoen Enteric Agar
- MSRV Medium
- Muller-Kauffmann Tetrathionate-Novobiocin (MKTTN) Broth
- Muller-Kauffmann Broth
- Rappaport-Vassiliadis Soja (RSV) Broth
- Novobiocin Selective Supplements
- Salmonella Enrichment Broth
- Selenite-Cystine Broth
- Tryptophan Broth
- TSI Agar
- XLD Agar
- XLT4 Agar
Microbiologics QC Microorganism Kits
ePower Quantitative Microorganism Pellets
- Concentrations ranging from 102 to 108 CFU per pellet
- Can be combined for a mixed microorganism population
- Easily manipulated to deliver a wide variety of concentrations
- Low concentrations available for Presence/Absence Testing
- Vial of ten lyophilized pellets
- Three passages from the reference culture
- Also available in CRM format – 1 passage from the reference strain
Kwik-Stik Qualitative Microorganism Swabs
- Accredited reference material under ISO 17034 standard
- An all-in-one design reduces the risk of contamination
- Strains are less than or equal to three passages from the reference culture
- Ready-to-use format saves time and money
- Refrigerated storage is easy and economical
- Available in Kwik-Stik PLUS format – 2 passages from the reference culture
Custom Kits
Microbiologics can create custom kits from your environmental strains or reference culture strains, providing the qualitative/quantitative format you need. This service also includes ID (MALDI-TOF and 16S sequencing) and long-term storage of your strain.
PCR Detection of Salmonella
MSC can help you incorporate PCR testing for Salmonella and other microorganisms into your lab. We offer thermal cyclers, ready-to-use kits, and custom kits with support designing panels, multiplexing, and more. Get in touch below for more information.
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