Commercial assay systems for detecting foodborne Salmonella: A review

Abstract

Recent advances in diagnostic technology have dramatically altered testing methods for foodborne Salmonella. Many commercial assay systems and kits that use newer technologies are now available to facilitate the identification of Salmonella in foods. These systems include miniaturized biochemical tests, new media formulations, automated instrumentation, DNA probe- and antibody- dependent assays. The technologies used for each system, except miniaturized biochemical tests, are described, and the various assay kit formats are compared. A selected number of comparative studies using foods are discussed. Most commercial assay systems are rapid, simple, and equally as sensitive as standard methods for the detection of Salmonella species.