Analysis of Salmonella Contaminated Beef Odor Using an Electronic Nose

An electronic nose was used to identify Salmonella contamination on beef based on odors. To detect pathogen contamination of beef, 100 μL of 10(5) CFU/g Salmonella Enteritidis or Salmonella Typhimurium cell suspensions were spiked onto 5 g beef sirloin samples in individual vials. Odor changes over time were then measured and analyzed using an electronic nose system to identify pathogen contamination. In principle, the electronic nose system based on a surface acoustic wave (SAW) detector produced different frequency responses depending on the time and amount of each chemical. Multivariate analysis of the odor data was conducted to detect Salmonella contamination of beef. Salmonella odors were successfully distinguished from uncontaminated beef odors by principal component analysis (PCA). The PCA results showed that Salmonella contamination of beef could be detected after 4 h of incubation. The numbers of cells enumerated by standard plate count after 4 h of inoculation were 2×106 CFU/g for both Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium.