Rapid detection methods in food microbiology

Food poisoning affects more than ten thousand people in France every year, and fortunately we only record a few deaths, unlike in the United States, where annual deaths from food poisoning number in the hundreds. The most frequently cited pathogenic bacteria are salmonella (more than 50% of cases), Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium perfringens. The emergence of new pathogens such as Yersinia enterocolitica, Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli O157 : H7, Aeromonas spp, Plesiomonas spp. should also be noted. Changes in lifestyle (many meals eaten outside the family home) explain the upsurge in collective food accidents. Food manufacturers need rapid methods to assess the hygienic quality of the food they produce, and to effectively control their manufacturing processes. They want analysis methods that enable them to market their products without waiting 4 to 5 days, as is currently the case with traditional microbiological isolation and identification methods. Rapid detection methods are also important for verifying the microbiological quality of the raw materials used in a product.