DETECTION OF ESCHERICHIA-COLI O157 IN FRENCH FOOD SAMPLES USING AN IMMUNOMAGNETIC SEPARATION METHOD AND THE VIDAS(TM) ESCHERICHIA-COLI O157

Two commercially available screening methods, an automated enzyme-link ed fluorescent immunoassay (VIDAS(TM) E. coli 0157) and an immunomagne tic separation followed by culture onto cefixime tellurite sorbitol Ma cConkey agar (CTSMAC), were compared for detection of Escherichia toll 0157 in naturally and artificially contaminated food samples. A total of 250 naturally contaminated food samples, including raw-milk cheese s, poultry, raw sausages and ground beef retail samples, were examined . Four poultry, one raw sausage and one ground beef sample were found to be positive for for E. coli 0157 by both methods. Of the six positi ve samples, five were shown to contain sorbitol-positive, 0157-positiv e, H7-negative, motile and non-verotoxin-producing E. coli.