Improved hydrophobic grid membrane filter method, using EF-18 agar, for detection of Salmonella in foods: collaborative study.

A collaborative study was carried out in 30 laboratories to validate improvements to the official final action hydrophobic grid membrane filter (HGMF) screening method for Salmonella in foods, 985.42, by comparing the performance of the improved HGMF method against that of the AOAC/BAM conventional culture method. Six products were included in the collaborative study: milk chocolate, raw deboned poultry meat, black pepper, soy flour, egg yolk powder, and nonfat dry milk. The raw deboned poultry meat was naturally contaminated with Salmonella, and the remaining 5 products were each inoculated in advance with low levels of individual Salmonella serotypes. The AOAC/BAM method produced 11 false negative results and the improved HGMF method produced 18 false negative results. The improved HGMF Salmonella method has been approved interim official first action for all foods to replace the HGMF official final action method, 985.42.