Assessing the efficacy of conventional methods for detecting Salmonella enterica serovar enteritidis (ATCC 13076) in artificially contaminated food matrices

Conventional diagnostic methods often face challenges related to their efficacy, particularly in terms of sensitivity. This study aims to evaluate the contamination of selected animal products with Salmonella enterica serovar enteritidis (ATCC 13076) and compare the effectiveness of conventional diagnostic methods in milk, chicken meat, albumin, and yolk. The goal is to optimize detection protocols to improve food safety surveillance. A total of 360 samples were analyzed, comprising four food matrices: milk, chicken meat, egg albumin, and egg yolk, with 90 samples from each matrix. Each sample was artificially contaminated with Salmonella enterica serovar enteritidis (ATCC 13076) at three different concentrations (101, 102, and 103 CFU/mL). Re-isolation was conducted using conventional culture methods to evaluate detection efficacy across the various food matrices. The study demonstrated the effectiveness of the conventional diagnostic method for Salmonella enterica serovar enteritidis (ATCC 13076) in animal-derived foods, with efficacy rates exceeding 100% in milk, ranging from 36.7% to 70% in chicken, and 96.7% in albumin and yolk. Traditional culture-based methods effectively detect Salmonella enterica serovar enteritidis (ATCC 13076) in animal products, offering a reliable and cost-effective solution for food safety surveillance.