3M Food Safety has launched the 3M™ Petrifilm™ Salmonella Express System, a new pathogen detection technology that builds upon a solid platform of pathogen detection solutions. The new system has already received Performance Tested Method (PTM) validation from the AOAC Research Institute. The Petrifilm Salmonella Express System was found to be equivalent to or better than the reference methods for raw ground chicken, pasteurized liquid whole egg, raw ground beef, raw ground pork, cooked chicken nuggets, frozen uncooked shrimp, fresh bunched spinach, dry dog food and stainless steel.

This system provides a shorter time-to-result, more uniform results and a longer shelf life than the conventional agar methods. It provides detection and biochemical confirmation of Salmonella in enriched food and food process environmental samples, including dairy, fruits and vegetables, raw meat, seafood and pet food and results are available in as little as 44 hours—two times faster than traditional agar methods.

The easy-to-use system is an all-in-one method. The plate is a sample-ready, chromogenic culture medium that is specific to Salmonella and provides a presumptive result. Next, the confirmation disk contains a substrate that facilitates the biochemical confirmation of all presumptive positive Salmonella colonies on the plate in just four hours. By way of comparison, when food processors outsource sample testing with a third-party contract lab, they’ll commonly wait 24–72 hours for confirmation and pay a nominal amount for each presumptive positive colony, requiring confirmation.

With the addition of the 3M Petrifilm Salmonella Express System, 3M Food Safety’s pathogen detection portfolio provides a total solution, offering molecular, immunoassay and indicator testing methods. DNA-based solutions include the highly innovative 3M(TM) Molecular Detection System introduced in December 2011, and the 3M Tecra(TM) Pathogen and Toxin Visual Immunoassay (VIA).

For more information, please visit www.3M.com/3MPathogenSolutions/SALX.