In a recent paper in Food Control, researchers have developed a new detection technique for Salmonella typhimurium. Their method used biosensors (devices that use living organisms, enzymes or antibodies to detect the presence of chemical substances). This method was able to accurately detect salmonella contamination in milk in as little as two hours.

The biosensor used for this study relied on magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and catalases to detect the presence of Salmonella typhimurium in milk. Unlike detection methods that require the visual identification of salmonella bacteria or identify the presence of salmonella DNA in food samples, this method relied on the presence of electrical fields. Scientists found that the higher the concentration of salmonella bacteria, biosensors would exhibit higher electrical voltage. The biosensors developed by the researchers were able to accurately and reliably detect the presence of salmonella contamination within two hours. The study also indicated that the biosensor could be adapted to develop a lab-on-a-chip system that could be used to detect foodborne contamination in the field.

Read more about this study here.