Thermo Fisher Scientific gets NF VALIDATION for Salmonella test

The firm said labs doing tests for poultry producers can simultaneously screen samples for Salmonella species, Typhimurium and Enteritidis.

Thermo Scientific RapidFinder Salmonella Multiplex PCR Workflow features sample preparation and results in 16 hours from raw, ready-to-eat and ready to reheat poultry and pork and production environment samples.

The workflow was given AOAC-RI Performance Tested Methods certification last year.

All the firm’s PCR tests are designed to run on the Applied Biosystems 7500 Fast Real-Time PCR System.

Bernd Hofmann, VP, global marketing, microbiology at Thermo Fisher Scientific, said the poultry industry invests heavily to ensure compliance with European regulations designed to reduce risk of foodborne illnesses.

"This unique tool provides valuable information in a short timeframe which can bring substantial economic benefits to producers, while enabling them to continue meeting the relevant safety criteria. ​

“To be able to identify Salmonella Typhimurium and Enteritidis in Salmonella species-positive samples in as few as 16 hours means faster actions may be taken compared to other validated methods, which take a minimum of 36 hours to provide the same level of information."​

Rapid methods, including other PCR tests, can indicate when Salmonella is present but not all can provide serovar identification at the same time.

Thermo said to get such information the lab must run additional rapid tests, which can prove expensive, or use traditional identification techniques that take several days and delay product release or other actions.