Tuesday, August 2, 2016
America's Center - St. Louis
Patrick Bird, Q Laboratories, Inc., Cincinnati, OH
Erin Crowley, Q Laboratories, Inc., Cincinnati, OH
M. Joseph Benzinger, Q Laboratories, Inc., Cincinnati, OH
Benjamin Bastin, Q Laboratories, Inc., Cincinnati, OH
Jonathan Flannery, Q Laboratories, Inc., Cincinnati, OH
James Agin, Q Laboratories, Inc., Cincinnati, OH
David Goins, Q Laboratories, Inc., Cincinnati, OH
Meredith Sutzko, Romer Labs, Inc., Newark, DE
Mark Muldoon, Romer Labs, Inc., Newark, DE
Introduction: In the United States,
E. coli O157 is the most prevalent of the pathogenic
E. coli, contributing to an estimated 265,000 infections per year.
E. coli O157:H7 can cause hemorrhagic colitis, which manifests as severe cramping causing abdominal pain, diarrhea, and can lead to kidney failure or death. It is critical for the food industry to have methods that can rapidly detect the organism, yet are sensitive enough to detect the pathogen in low quantities. The RapidChek
E. coli O157 (including H7) offers the benefits of a single, proprietary enrichment, coupled with innovative immuno-strip technology to allow processers and manufacturers the ability to detect the dangerous pathogen from ready-to-eat meats in as few as 8 h.
Purpose: The purpose of this independent evaluation was to compare the new method to the USDA/FSIS-MLG 5.09 reference method for select ready-to-eat (RTE) meats: deli ham, bacon, all beef hot dogs, salami, and pimento loaf.
Methods: Using unpaired samples, the new method was evaluated using 25- and 75-g test portions. For each food matrix, 20 test portions were inoculated at a low inoculation level of 0.2 to 2 CFU/test portion and evaluated along with 5 uninoculated control test portions. After sample enrichment in RapidChek E. coli O157 enrichment media, test portions were evaluated after 8 and 24 h of incubation (18 and 24 h for salami). Samples were confirmed following procedures outlined in the USDA/FSIS-MLG 5.09.
Results: Results for each assay were compared to the MLG method by POD statistical analysis. No statistically significant differences were observed between the new method and the reference method.
Significance: This new method demonstrated reliability as an easy to use, rapid method for the detection of E. coli O157:H7 in select ready-to-eat meats.
