The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has published a list of test kits that have been independently validated for detection of key foodborne pathogens. The agency said the list is for informational purposes only, does not constitute endorsement or approval of any particular method, and is intended to be updated quarterly.

The list identifies Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli O157:H7, Listeria spp. including L. monocytogenes, and non-O157 STECs as relevant foodborne pathogens. Accompanying text notes that FSIS does not require meat or poultry facilities to use any particular test method, but urges processors to select methods that are validated by:

• "a recognized independent body" such as AOAC, AFNOR, MicroVal, or NordVal;
• a regulatory body such as FSIS's Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook (MLG) or the Food and Drug Administration's Bacteriological Analytical Manual (FDA BAM); or
• an ISO method.

Test kit manufacturers on the list include 3M, Applied Biosystems, bioMérieux, BioControl Systems, Bio-Rad Laboratories, DuPont Qualicon, and Neogen Corporation, among others.

Click here to download the current list in PDF format.