Enzyme immunoassay-membrane filter method for detection of salmonellae in foods

Extract: An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique using a horseradish peroxidase-protein A-Spicer Edwards antiserum complex was developed for the detection of Salmonella colonies on membrane filters. In pure culture, 64 Salmonella species gave a positive reaction. Of 22 naturally contaminated food samples, there was an exact correlation between the AOAC hydrophobia grid-membrane filter procedure and the ELISA technique. This technique is simple, requires little equipment and can be completed in less than 2.5 hours, thus allowing the detection of Salmonella spp. in foods within 48 hours from initiation of sampling. (author)