The AOAC Research Institute has approved the use of BAX® System E. coli O157:H7 MP enrichment media for Salmonella testing. Validated on ground beef, beef trim, spinach and lettuce, the BAX® System performed as well as or better than traditional culture methods for detecting Salmonella, but with quicker time to result.

The MP enrichment media was originally designed for use with the BAX® System assay for detecting E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef and beef trim.

Recently, AOAC RI extended certification of that assay to also include lettuce and spinach. This means that the identical MP enrichment protocol has been approved by AOAC RI for both Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 testing of those foods.

'Customers can now use the same 8-hour enrichment to test certain types of meat and fresh produce for two different pathogens,' said Linda Peng, research microbiologist - DuPont Nutrition & Health. 'This will not only save hands-on time, but the single medium will also reduce inventory and storage costs for food companies.'

Food processing companies around the world rely on the BAX® system to detect pathogens or other organisms in raw ingredients, finished products and environmental samples. The automated system uses leading-edge technology, including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays, tableted reagents and optimized media to detect Salmonella, Listeria species, Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7, Enterobacter sakazakii, Campylobacter, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio, and yeast and mold.

For more information please visit www.qualicon.com