A new test detects salmonella onsite quickly 2023

Salmonella bacteria cause the most prevalent form of food poisoning, which can make people quite ill. However, a new test can detect the presence of microorganisms in food more quickly and easily than ever before.

One of the problems with salmonella-contaminated foods, which are typically meats, fruits, and vegetables, is that they typically do not appear, smell, or taste any different than they normally do. And while it is currently possible to test food samples for the bacteria, these tests require at least one day of lab time to cultivate bacterial cultures.

The new technique, on the other hand, can be performed on-site and yields result within an hour. It was designed by scientists at McMaster University in Canada.

At the core of the technology is a novel synthetic nucleic acid molecule created by McMaster University that is sandwiched between layers of gold microparticles. This composite material lines the top of a glass pipette, which is used to collect a liquified sample of the in question food.

Salmonella bacteria in the sample will cut through the gold microparticles, releasing the nucleic acid into the liquid. When a drop of this liquid is then applied to a paper test strip, the acid produced by the bacteria will cause the strip to color red. The intensity of the red will increase proportionally to the concentration of bacteria and the quantity of acid present.

These tests are simpler than COVID tests, which many people already take.

“Using these tests is easier than using a COVID test, which so many people are already doing,” said Dr. Carlos Filipe, head of the Department of Chemical Engineering at McMaster University. To be as effective and useful as feasible, this must be simple to use.

Toyota Tsusho Canada, a project partner, intends to commercialize the technology for use by customers such as poultry producers, supermarkets, and other food industry professionals. The system could even be integrated into food packaging, allowing consumers to determine for themselves whether the food is compromised.

Professor Yingfu Li conducted the research that was recently published in the journal Angewandte Chemie.