Comparative Study Between 3M™ Molecular Detection Assay 2 - Salmonella and ISO 6579 in Meat and Poultry Products from Thailand

Introduction: Salmonellosis is an infection caused by the Salmonella bacteria and is one of the leading causes of global foodborne disease. The detection of Salmonella spp. in exported meat and poultry products is of particular concern, partly due to varying importer regulations and specifications. To help alleviate economic losses that can arise from Salmonella contamination, the Thai meat and poultry industry requires pathogen detection methods that are fast, convenient, highly sensitive, highly specific, accurate and cost-effective.

Purpose:  This study compared the performance of 3M™ Molecular Detection Assay 2 (MDA2) Salmonella with a modified reference method (ISO 6579:2002/Amd.1:2007) for the detection of Salmonella spp. in meat and poultry products from the central region of Thailand.

Methods: A total of 131 meat and poultry products obtained from slaughter houses, food processing plants, and fresh markets from the central region of Thailand were tested for Salmonella detection with both methods. Additionally, poultry samples (n=30) were inoculated with Salmonella Typhimurium ATCC 14028, at 1, 3, 5, 10 CFU/25g, to determine relative detection level, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity.

Results:   Salmonella was detected in 49 of the 131 collected samples. The 3M MDA2 Salmonella was able to detect as low as one CFU of Salmonella spp. in artificially contaminated poultry samples. In this study, the sensitivity of the 3M MDA2 Salmonella was calculated as 100%; specificity was 96.6%; and accuracy was 98.1%, considering both naturally and artificially contaminated samples.

Significance: The 3M MDA2 Salmonella delivered highly sensitive, highly accurate, and rapid detection of Salmonella spp. in meat and poultry products when compared to the modified ISO 6579 method.