3M Salmonella Detection Gains Worldwide Certification

A Salmonella detection technique developed by Minnesota-based conglomerate 3M has been determined to be as effective or more effective than standard methods of detecting Salmonella in seafood and vegetable products, and in environmental samples taken from food processing sites, the Paris-based AFNOR CERTIFICATION expert committee has found.

This follows AFNOR CERTIFICATION’s validation in December of the same product’s efficacy in finding Salmonella spp. in egg, meat and dairy products.

Based on these two sets of data, the certification is now granted for all food categories and environmental products.

To obtain NF VALIDATION certification, the 3M Molecular Detection Assay Salmonella test kit went through a comprehensive scientific review process.

An expert independent laboratory tested the assay against EN ISO 6579, the worldwide standard for detecting Salmonella ssp.

This testing was followed by collaborative studies conducted by 18 other laboratories from seven different counties to ensure the test method could be effectively reproduced and repeated.

“Salmonella can be found in a wide variety of foods and surfaces,” said Marie-Pierre Copin, 3M-food Safety European regulatory affairs specialist.

Copin continued, “Having AFNOR CERTIFICATION’S recognition for detecting the organism in so many types of samples is a testimony to the technology’s robust and versatile capabilities.”

Since it was introduced in December 2011, the 3M ™ Molecular Detection System has been used in 33 counties by food processors, third-party reference laboratories and other customers.

It’s a great accomplishment that this technology has been comprehensively validated to detect such a common and harmful organisms throughout the world,” added Nik Montgomery, global marketing manager for 3M Food Safety. “Its increasingly proven accuracy is a perfect complement to its simplicity and ease-of-use.”

3M Food Safety is a unit of the Minnesota-based innovation company with $30 billion in annual sales and 88,000 employees in 70 counties around the world.

The AFNOR Group develops its international standardization activities, information provision, certification and training through a network of key partners.