AOAC Certifies SDIX Salmonella 24-hour Test System for Food Processing Environmental Testing

A fast, effective solution for food processing environment monitoring

The RapidChek® SELECT™ Salmonella 24-hour test from SDIX, has earned Performance-Tested Methods^SM (PTM) certification from the AOAC Research Institute (AOAC RI) as an analytical method for detecting Salmonella species on environmental surfaces such as stainless steel, concrete, plastic and rubber.

The certified test can now help food processors quickly and accurately identify if Salmonella is present in their facilities before it can cross-contaminate food during production.

This newly-certified application is an extension to the original 2006 validation of the RapidChek® SELECT™ Salmonella system to detect Salmonella species in food. The RapidChek SELECT system is designed to combine easy use, reduced food product hold-time, and early detection of environmental contamination with reliable and accurate results.

According to the USDA and the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) FoodNet surveillance system, Salmonella causes about 1.4 million cases of food poisoning and over 500 deaths annually in the U.S. Investigations into salmonellosis cases caused by processed foods like peanut butter and peanut butter-containing products across 43 states found that the Salmonella resulted from cross-contamination in the processing environment. Outbreaks like these underscore the difficulty of eradicating Salmonella from the processing environment, highlighting the need to reinforce preventive control measures and routinely monitor the processing environment.

Tim Lawruk, Food Safety Market Manager at SDIX, said, 'Recently, the food industry has seen an increase in Salmonella contamination of ready-to-eat, low moisture foods, previously thought to be unrelated to salmonellosis infection, such as chocolate, cheese, raw nuts, and peanut butter. RapidChek® SELECT™ Salmonella test's 24-hour turnaround will help food producers quickly identify Salmonella in the environment before it contaminates finished food products, reducing production disruption and product hold times. In comparison to other test methods which can take up to 72 hrs, RapidChek® SELECT™ Salmonella will enable food processors to make decisions in 24 hours without comprising accuracy or ease of use. We are very pleased with this AOAC certification and believe that our test system will serve to further strengthen SDIX's position in the Food Safety market.'