Historically, methodology to detect pathogens in the food supply that have the potential to make people sick took four to five days. When processors are dealing with perishable products, long, time-consuming testing is not really helpful to the industry. This is why rapid testing is used to screen products for pathogens in a timely manner and in less than 24 hours, which most rapid methods are.
The heaviest area for rapid testing is used to detect O157:H7 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) pathogens during the screening of raw materials used to make ground beef, says Mohammad Koohmaraie, chief executive officer of the meat division of IEH Laboratories & Consulting Group, in Lake Forest Park, Wash. Combos of trimmings are mandated to be lotted (usually 2,000 pounds but not more than 10,000 pounds), sampled and tested for E. coli O157. The sample must be negative before being released into commerce. Because testing beef trim occurs at the end of the process, some beef processors show interest in rapid testing methods being used earlier in the process to assess the entire process, Koohmaraie says.