Salmonella testing is a microbiological procedure that verifies the absence of Salmonella in a defined sample quantity, as required by EU microbiological criteria for many food categories, and is a critical control in supplier approval for low-moisture products.
In trade practice
Testing follows ISO 6579 or equivalent accredited methods, involving pre-enrichment, selective enrichment and confirmation steps. For nuts, seeds and dried fruit, where Salmonella can persist at low water activity, buyers typically require absence in a minimum sample size per lot as part of supplier qualification. Third-party accredited laboratories issue the result, and a positive finding triggers hold, investigation and often rejection. Relying solely on supplier-issued results without independent verification is a common gap in buyer programmes.
In a specification
Contracts and product specifications state the required absence criterion, the sample size tested, the reference method and whether testing must be performed by an accredited third-party laboratory.