METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES IN FOOD INSPECTION FOR THE DETECTION AND CONTROL OF SALMONELLA

Food contamination by Salmonella spp. poses a critical challenge to food safety due to its widespread presence in the agri-food chain, the recurring risk of outbreaks, and the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant strains. In this context, sanitary inspection and the continuous improvement of detection and traceability methods are fundamental pillars for preventing the transmission of this pathogen. The objective of this study was to synthesize and critically analyze the methodological approaches employed in food sanitary inspection for the detection, tracing, and control of Salmonella spp. throughout the production stages. To this end, a narrative literature review was conducted in the PubMed database using the controlled keywords “Salmonella Infections” and “Food Inspection,” selecting studies published in the last five years in Portuguese and English, with a focus on health inspections, epidemiological investigations, and laboratory methods. The results revealed a strong association between failures in sanitation procedures and an increased incidence of salmonellosis, in addition to demonstrating the limitations of conventional culture-based isolation methods in identifying complex bacterial populations composed of multiple serovars. Cases of the spread of multidrug-resistant strains and significant outbreaks associated with animal products, vegetables, and seafood were also identified. It was found that the application of advanced techniques, such as whole-genome sequencing (WGS), deep serotyping via CRISPR-SeroSeq, and molecular quantification by qPCR—integrated with efficient traceability systems—enables the precise identification of contamination sources and the establishment of epidemiological links between clinical, environmental, and food isolates. It is concluded that effective control of Salmonella spp. requires the convergence of rigorous health inspections, good manufacturing practices, high-resolution molecular tools, and agile traceability systems, thereby strengthening outbreak prevention and ensuring food safety.