What Is Salmonella?
Salmonella analysis is the investigation of whether this pathogen is present in the sample. It is a presence/absence analysis, not a count: it is sought to be absent in a certain sample amount. The reference method is ISO 6579-1 and consists of pre-enrichment, selective enrichment, cultivation on selective media and verification stages.
Purpose of Salmonella
The aim is to show that Salmonella, one of the main causes of foodborne diseases, is not present in the product. (EC) 2073/2005 defines this as a food safety criterion for many food categories.
Which Products Is Salmonella Applied To?
- Poultry meat and egg products
- Raw meat and minced meat
- Milk powder and baby food
- Spices and nuts
- Ready meals and ready-to-eat products
In Which Sectors Is Salmonella Used?
Standards Related to Salmonella
- TS EN ISO 6579-1 (Salmonella spp. detection — horizontal method)
- TS EN ISO 6579-3 (serotiplendirme)
- TS EN ISO 16140 series (verification of alternative methods)
- TS EN ISO 6887 series (sample preparation)
Salmonella Conditions
- sample quantity
- The amount defined in the standard and legislation; usually 25g
- Pre-enrichment
- In buffered peptone water, under standard-defined conditions
- selective enrichment
- In selective media defined in the standard
- Verification
- Biochemical and serological confirmation
Equipment for Salmonella
- Sterile cabinet and incubators
- Real-time PCR system (for rapid method)
- Stomacher
- Autoclave and medium preparation
- Serolojik tiplendirme kitleri
Sample Requirements for Salmonella
- The sample must be sent unopened and in its original packaging, maintaining the cold chain. Whether the sampling method is representative of the batch determines the validity of the result; The result from a single unit is not enough to make a decision about the party.
- The sampling plan must comply with the number of samples in the legislation.
- 25 g analysis units are prepared according to the standard
- The sample must be sent in its original, unopened packaging.
Duration of Salmonella
The cultural reference method takes several days due to the pre-enrichment, selective enrichment, cultivation and validation stages. PCR-based rapid methods give negative results earlier, but positive results require cultural confirmation.
Salmonella Procedure
- 1The sample is weighed aseptically and added to the pre-enrichment medium.
- 2It is incubated at defined temperature and time.
- 3Transferred to selective enrichment media.
- 4Planting is done on selective solid media.
- 5Typical colonies are confirmed biochemically and serologically.
- 6The result is reported as present/absent in the defined sample amount.
Salmonella Acceptance Criteria
(EC) 2073/2005 determines the absence of Salmonella in defined sample quantities in many food categories as a food safety criterion. The lot that does not meet the criteria cannot be placed on the market and the procedures in the legislation are applied.
Evaluation of Results
The result is valid only for the amount of sample analyzed; Since Salmonella can be distributed unevenly in the batch, the sampling plan directly determines the reliability of the result. A single sample negativity does not provide assurance for the entire batch.
Salmonella Report
- Sample description, batch and sampling information
- Amount of sample analyzed and number of units
- Standard and method applied
- Result (present/absent) and serotype if positive
- benchmark
Accreditation
EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.
Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Scope and authorisationsRelated Regulations
- (EC) 2073/2005 Microbiological Criteria Regulation
- (EC) 178/2002 General Food Law
Food Testing — What Does This Testing Field Cover?
The section below describes the field that the Salmonella test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Food testing shows that a product is safe for consumption and contains what its label states. The family works along three axes: microbiological safety, chemical safety and nutritional composition. All three require different laboratory infrastructure, a different body of methods and a different turnaround time.
The most distinctive feature of the field is TIME PRESSURE. A steel specimen can wait on a shelf; a raw milk or fresh meat sample cannot. The time the sample was taken, the transport temperature and how long it takes to reach the laboratory directly determine the validity of the result. In food microbiology the cold chain record is therefore an inseparable part of the test report.
On the microbiological side there are two different questions and they must not be confused. DETECTION of a pathogen is a qualitative question: is Salmonella present in the sample or not? ENUMERATION of indicator organisms is a quantitative question and an indicator of production hygiene. The absence of a pathogen in a product does not show that hygiene is good; if the total mesophilic aerobic count is high, there is a problem in the process.
On the chemical side, pesticide residues, mycotoxins, heavy metals, additives, veterinary drug residues and process contaminants (acrylamide, furan, PAH) are measured. Multi-residue methods in this area (QuEChERS-based LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS) can screen hundreds of active substances in a single analysis; limits are defined separately for each product–substance pair.
On the composition side, protein, fat, moisture, ash, fibre, sugar profile, fatty acid composition, vitamin and mineral content are determined. These values are the basis of the nutrition declaration on the label and the tolerance ranges are defined in legislation — the difference between the declared value and the measured value must stay within that tolerance.
There is NO CE marking on food, and this shapes how the field works. Conformity is demonstrated through operating a HACCP-based food safety system, complying with labelling rules and not exceeding contaminant, residue and microbiological limits. A test result produces evidence not for a certificate but for a functioning system.
Allergen management carries particular weight. The presence of an undeclared allergen in a product is one of the most frequent causes of food recalls. Analysis here runs together with cleaning validation: it is shown that the line has been cleaned adequately after a production run containing an allergen and that the risk of cross-contamination is under control.
Voluntary schemes have become effectively mandatory in this field. Retail chains require their suppliers to hold a certificate under a GFSI-recognised scheme (BRCGS, IFS, FSSC 22000); without it, getting onto the shelf is practically impossible.
Method groups in this field
Pathogen detection
Detection of Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter, Cronobacter and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli; culture-based and molecular methods.
Indicator counts
Total mesophilic aerobic count, Enterobacteriaceae, coliforms and E. coli, coagulase-positive staphylococci, yeasts and moulds, lactic acid bacteria, sulphite-reducing Clostridia.
Pesticide and veterinary residues
Multi-residue screening by LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS with QuEChERS extraction.
Mycotoxins and contaminants
Aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, deoxynivalenol, patulin; heavy metals (ICP-MS), acrylamide and PAH compounds.
Nutritional composition
Kjeldahl protein, fat and fatty acid profile, moisture, ash, dietary fibre, sugar profile, vitamin and mineral analyses.
Allergens and authenticity
Gluten, milk, egg, nut and soy allergen analyses; molecular methods for species identification and adulteration detection.
Commonly confused in this field
- Sampling is half the result. A sample transported at the wrong temperature or delayed gives an invalid result even if it is analysed correctly in the laboratory.
- The absence of a pathogen does not show that hygiene is good; indicator counts give separate information and the two are read together.
- A result from a sample taken from a lot can be generalised to the whole lot only if the sampling plan was set up statistically.
- Limits are defined in separate regulations by product group and are updated regularly; a conformity decision based on an outdated limit table may be wrong.
- For exports, the limits of the destination country may differ from EU limits; the same product may be compliant in one market and non-compliant in another.
Which decisions these results support
- Verification of the HACCP plan and process monitoring
- The basis for the nutrition declaration and allergen information on the label
- Health certificates before export and compliance with destination market limits
- Supplier and lot-based acceptance control
- Shelf-life studies and determining storage conditions
- Producing evidence for audits under GFSI-recognised schemes
Related Tests
Frequently Asked Questions About Salmonella
Is the rapid PCR method accepted?
It is accepted; however, the alternative method must be validated against the reference method according to the ISO 16140 series. In addition, positive results are expected to be confirmed by cultural method.
How many samples should I have analyzed?
The number of samples is determined according to the sampling plan prescribed by EC 2073/2005 for the product category. A single sample is not sufficient if the plan calls for five units.