Rapid detection of Salmonella from vegetable rinse-water using real-time PCR Original Research Article

A PCR-based method for the detection of Salmonella spp. from fresh vegetable rinse-water was developed. The method is a modification of an existing Association of Official Analytical Chemist (AOAC)-approved protocol and is compatible for high throughput analysis. The protocol is sensitive enough to detect contamination in mixed-salad (made up of approximately 80% leaf lettuce, 10% red cabbage and 10% carrots by weight) that was washed with water, which was artificially contaminated with Salmonella spp. at the estimated level of 1–10 cells ml−1. The modified protocol, which includes a confirmatory melt–curve analysis of PCR products, requires 8–10 h. The method should help implementation of the HACCAP program for fresh produce.