Some of the features to look for when selecting an enrichment media are the ability to combine a nutritive base with the necessary ingredients to improve cell resuscitation and optimized selective agents to efficiently inhibit competing flora without affecting the growth of the target pathogen. These properties confer an important growth advantage when other bacteria are present in the samples taken from an unclean environmental surface. Furthermore, it is proven with validation studies that the enrichment time could be cut down by several hours when applying the right materials and growth conditions. An example of an enrichment media with these advantageous properties is FoodChek Systems Inc.’s ACTERO Enrichment Media developed for a single-step recovery and enrichment of stressed pathogens potentially present in environmental samples and in low quantities. This method allows for obtaining results in as little as 18 hours of enrichment for the detection of Listeria spp. on various surfaces and is reduced to 14 hours for Salmonella spp. Thus, it can be easy to integrate a robust environmental testing program based on next day results while ensuring the right food safety control.
Choosing the Right Test Technology
The surveillance and monitoring of pathogens in environmental surfaces should also be based on reliable and efficient detection technology that reinforces the effort to effectively prevent and control contamination. Several commercially available rapid methods using immunology-based assays or nucleic acid-based assays have been developed and validated that can now deliver reliable results within a few hours to a day. Rapid technologies are perceived as good value because they are accurate, easy to use, and faster than cultural methods. However, not all pathogen detection methods are the same and it can be easy to loose track of which technology best serves your environmental surface and food sampling. All have certifications of varying degrees, but practical, real-world performance offers a glimpse into some significant differences. These differences were not truly exposed in the past but now, in today’s environment, may pose significant risk. For instance, while false positives are often focused on or attributed to a lack of culture, very few explore what the false negative risks may be since negatives are rarely cultured even during validation. These false negatives represent potential risk, hidden risk, and now a recall, legal, and financial risk. To avoid these risks, the processing with in-house testing capabilities or external service laboratories should consider many parameters when choosing the most acceptable method, or a combination of these methods, for their needs. The main parameters to examine when deciding to invest in testing technology are accuracy, precision, detection limit, ease-of-use, the nature of samples, cost acceptability, laboratory space, training of laboratory personnel, and quality of services after sale.
Implementing fully automated instruments that enhance the accuracy, speed, and efficiency of food safety testing through the detection of molecular pathogens, including Listeria, Salmonella, Escherichia coli, and other organisms potentially found in environmental and food sample contamination episodes, supports the business case of using innovative detection technology. Systems that are easy-to-use and incorporate advanced features minimize the complexity of the testing processes. Technologies that provide unparalleled scalability and reliability allow processors with in-house labs or service laboratories to meet the increasing demands of today’s testing environment, as well as those of the future. An example of this are assays that target ribosomal RNA, and can also detect messenger RNA and DNA, providing the versatility of using the same technology for other nucleic acid testing applications. The combined power of technologies that these types of instruments use delivers a fully automated, single-protocol assay with reduced enrichment times and superior sensitivity. One such technology is Roka Bioscience, Inc.’s Atlas System that is based on this accurate molecular detection.
Bottom Line Benefits
Considerable progress is being made to shorten “time-to-results” of detection methods while maintaining or increasing sensitivity and specificity for detection of various pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, and Escherichia coli. When combining the right sampling device with the latest technology in performing enrichment media and an accurate detection system, it is possible to reduce the “time-to-results” without compromising accuracy, to have higher throughput to maximize operating efficiencies, and to obtain test results within a production shift while improving the efficiency and efficacy of the processors’ sanitation program. Embracing the latest technologies in pathogen testing also enables food processors and manufacturers to liberate their products faster and deliver fresher foods in the marketplace, while protecting human and animal health. Additional research and development by media and test kit manufacturers continue to bring innovation and improvements to the detection methods available in the marketplace and help food processors protect their brand, management, and customers.
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