Salmonella-TEK, a rapid screening method for Salmonella species in food

A micro-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (micro-ELISA) using the Salmonella-TEK screen kit was tested for the detection of Salmonella spp. in pure cultures as well as in 30 artificially contaminated food samples and in 45 naturally contaminated food samples. Different raw, fleshy foods and processed foods were used as test products. The artificially contaminated minced meat samples were preenriched in buffered peptone water, and after incubation, different selective enrichment broths were tested. The micro-ELISA optical density values after enrichment and isolation of the different broths were very analogous. The quickest method to detect Salmonella spp. in different foods is to enrich them with Salmosyst broth, which reduces the total analysis time to 31 h. The Salmonella-TEK kit for Salmonella spp. provides a promising test for the detection of Salmonella antigens in food even when they are present at a low concentration (1 to 5 CFU/25 g). The cross-reaction of the anti-Salmonella antibodies, especially to other gram-negative bacteria, is nil.