Modified 1–2 Test™ System as a Rapid Screening Method for Detection of Salmonella in Foods and Feeds

Modifications made to the procedure for the 1–2 Test™ System (BioControl Systems, Inc., 19805 North Creek Parkway, Bothell, WA 98011) resulted in reducing the time required for analysis by 24 h, while maintaining a high level of agreement with the standard culture procedure. Of 283 samples tested, 73 (25.8%) were found to be naturally contaminated with Salmonella by all analytical conditions combined. The standard culture procedure detected 73 of the contaminated samples, whereas the 1–2 Test™ system, as utilized in this study, found 70 samples to be positive for Salmonella. The modified 1–2 Test™ System procedure yielded a presumptive positive result after 48 h, compared to the 96 h required with the standard culture method, and 72 h with the 1–2 Test™ System as previously evaluated in this laboratory (8).