Conventional salmonella test kits involve numerous complicated steps. The InSite is designed to be fast – results arrive in 24 hours, with a pre-enrichment period of six hours.
The InSite is a salmonella micro-organism colorimetric test. It combines swab, pre-enrichment and selective enrichment in one self-contained swab device for testing environmental surfaces.
According to the European Food Safety Authority, around 100,000 cases os salmonella poisoning are reported every year in the EU.
The swab device consists of a large sponge swab pre-wetted with a neutralising agent to counter the effects of residual sanitisers. It has a pre-enrichment broth to detect low numbers of salmonella.
The bulb contains the AOAC enrichment Salmonella Indicator Broth PDX-SIB. After activation, the colour of the broth may change from purple to yellow – considered a “presumptive positive” result.
Instead of six hour pre-enrichment, user may opt for 24-hour pre-enrichment. This requires fewer materials, fewer steps and less manipulation by users. Samples can be detected in 48 hours.
Hygiena predicts there are currently about 40 different commercially available methods for salmonella detection, but all require a skilled operator. These can be time-consuming and prone to errors at several stages.
By comparison, the Hygiena InSite's unique selling point is its straightforwardness. Further benefits include reduced risk of cross-contamination and the retention of active culture for any subsequent verification and identification tests.
