P1-86 Efficacy of the InnovaPrep Concentrating Pipette for Concentrating Salmonella spp., Listeria spp., and Escherichia coli in Ground Beef and Leafy Greens for Rapid Detection

Monday, July 10, 2017
Exhibit Hall (Tampa Convention Center)
Gianna Prata , Natick Soldier Research Development & Engineering Center , Natick , MA
Patrick Marek , Natick Soldier Research Development & Engineering Center , Natick , MA
Tobyn Branck , Natick Soldier Research Development & Engineering Center , Natick , MA
Christina Crivello , Natick Soldier Research Development & Engineering Center , Natick , MA
Introduction: Rapid, single day detection of foodborne pathogens in leafy greens and raw ground beef is needed by the Armed Services and food industry. The InnovaPrep Concentrating Pipette (CP) is of interest due to its ability to concentrate bacteria from a food homogenate, replacing older microbiological methods including centrifugation and enrichment as a front-end to microbial detection.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to determine the ability of the InnovaPrep CP technology to extract and concentrate bacteria from a food matrix for detection in less than eight hours.

Methods: Six experimental runs of eight replicates containing an inoculum of one to 10 CFU/25 g food were sampled using the InnovaPrep CP at time points zero, four to six, and 24 h post enrichment. All samples were processed for DNA extraction with an iQ-Check Biorad kit for Salmonella spp., Listeria spp., or Escherichia coli O157:H7. Standard sampling after enrichment in selective broths, at each time point, was conducted as a control. PCR was performed and positive samples were determined by endpoint analysis using the negative control RFU plus the tolerance determined by the IQ5 software.

Results: There were significant differences (P≤0.05) in ground beef inoculated with E.coli at zero and four hours and lettuce inoculated with L. monocytogenes at zero hours using the CP versus traditional sampling methods.

Significance: Our data showed that the InnovaPrep CP system can detect one to 10 CFU/25g food in a zero to six hour time frame, but the results are inconsistent and food specific. These results are relevant as this technology is of interest to the food industry as a means for rapid pathogen detection.