SDIX RapidChek™ Listeria F.A.S.T.™ Environmental Test System for the Detection of Listeria species on Environmental Surfaces

The SDIX RapidChekTMListeria F.A.S.T. test system was validated against the U. S. Department of Agriculture-Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) cultural reference method for the detection of Listeria species on stainless steel, plastic, rubber, and painted concrete. The SDIX method uses a proprietary RapidChek Listeria enrichment media for a one-step, 24–40 h enrichment at 30°C, and detects Listeria on an immunochromatographic lateral flow device in 10 min. Different Listeria species were used to spike each of the environmental surfaces. Environmental surfaces were spiked at levels ranging from 50 to 400 CFU/surface (1 in.2 swabs for painted concrete, 4 in.2 for sponge). A total of 120 spiked samples were tested by the SDIX method at 24 and 40 h and the cultural reference method. Total confirmed positives were 49, 54, and 48 for the SDIX 24 h method, the SDIX 40 h method, and the USDA-FSIS cultural reference method, respectively. Nonspiked samples from all environmental surfaces were reported as negative for Listeria spp. by all methods. The overall Chi square was 0.017 (P = 0.104) and 0.611 (P = 0.566) after a 24 and 40 h enrichment, respectively, indicating that the test method was equivalent in performance to the reference method at both enrichment times. The SDIX method was evaluated for the detection of 50 Listeria and 35 non-Listeria bacterial strains. All 50 Listeria strains were detected by the method (100% sensitivity). Five out of 35 non-Listeria species gave light test signals when grown in nonselective broth culture and tested undiluted. However, when grown in the RapidChek Listeria F.A.S.T. proprietary media, only one bacterial strain (Staphylococcus aureus) was detected, giving a very low test signal (97% specificity). The method was shown to be robust toward several alterations in testing and storage conditions.