Scientific Publications by FDA Staff

J AOAC Int 2013 Nov-Dec;96(6):1336-42

Evaluation and Single-Laboratory Verification of a Proposed Modification to the US Food and Drug Administration Method for Detection and Identification of Campylobacter jejuni or Campylobacter coli from Raw Silo Milk.

Gharst G, Bark DH, Newkirk R, Guillen L, Wang Q, Abeyta C

The current U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) methodology for detection of Campylobacter, a leading source for foodborne illness, is outdated. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to improve and update the cultural and identification methods found in the FDA/Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM). Raw silo milk samples containing typical and atypical strains of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coil at different levels (5 CFU/25 g, 50 CFU/25 g, and 125 CFU/25 g) were analyzed. Valid results were obtained from 240 test portions. Six inoculated (at the levels described above) and two uninoculated samples were sent to a participating laboratory to mimic a "real-world" scenario. These combined data indicated that the use of sheep blood in combination with enrichment is not necessary. R& F (R) Campylobacter jejuni/Campylobacter coil Chromogenic Plating Medium is significantly (P < 0.05) more sensitive for detection of C. jejuni or C. coil at low inoculation levels than the modified Cefoperazone Charcoal Deoxycholate Agar used in the BAM. The quantitative PCR method described demonstrated rapid confirmation and identification of C. jejuni or C. coli. It reduced the time to isolate C. jejuni or C. coil, and increased the sensitivity compared to the current BAM protocol.