Soleris®Enterobacteriaceae for the Detection of Enterobacteriaceae in Select Foods: AOAC Performance Tested MethodSM 121901.

Background: Soleris®Enterobacteriaceae is a growth-based, automated method for detection of Enterobacteriaceae in food.

Objective: A study was conducted to validate the Soleris method for detection of Enterobacteriaceae in select foods (pasteurized milk, yogurt, mozzarella cheese, ice cream, dried milk, pasteurized liquid egg, frozen cooked chicken, deli ham, lettuce, and dry dog food) at a threshold of ≥ 10 CFU/g of product.

Methods: Inclusivity and exclusivity of the Soleris method were assessed by testing 55 and 38 target and non-target bacterial strains, respectively. Matrix testing was performed with one naturally contaminated and nine inoculated foods. Efficacy of the Soleris method was compared to that of the ISO 21528-2:2017 direct plating reference method using probability of detection analysis. Independent laboratory testing was conducted to verify method performance in two matrixes (yogurt and deli ham). Method robustness, stability, and lot-to-lot consistency of the Soleris reagents were also assessed.

Results: Inclusivity of the Soleris test was 91% and exclusivity was 100%. In matrix testing, there were no significant differences in the number of positive results obtained with the Soleris and reference methods for any of the matrixes examined. Overall, of 370 test portions, there were 176 positive results by the Soleris method and 177 positive results by the reference procedure.

Conclusions: Soleris Enterobacteriaceae is an effective method for detection of Enterobacteriaceae in the foods evaluated, with performance equivalent to that of the ISO 21528-2:2017 reference method.

Highlights: The Soleris method offers the advantages of labor savings and results within 18 h.