COUPLING OF IMMUNOMAGNETIC SEPARATION AND ELISA FOR THE RAPID DETECTION OF SALMONELLA IN FOODS

The German Official Collection of Methods of Analysis according to 35 LMBG gives in procedure L 00.00-20 a reliable method to detect Salmone lla in food samples. To follow strictly the recommended procedure is e xtremely time consuming (fig. 2). The disadvantages for the producer a nd for supervising and not a least in view of the health protection of the consumer are clearly seen. The great number of rapid methods that have been developed during the last years cannot be overlooked. Added the fact that seven contributions of the 36th Arbeitstagung des Arbei tsgebietes Lebensmittelhygiene der Deutschen Veterinarmidizinischen Ge sellschaft e. V. were dedicated tot he rapid detection of Salmonella, the discomfort of all participating members concerning the extreme exp enditure of time by the reference method is obvious. The immunomagneti c separation (abbreviated as ''IMS''), still not well known in the Ger man speaking area, could replace the cultural selective enrichment ste p for the detection of Salmonella in foods and takes about half an hou r and so saves one or two days as compared with the 35 method. If one couples IMS indirectly with ELISA (after post-enrichment in mannose-br oth containing novobiocin) the result of the screening method is avail able within 21/2 working days.