Background
Ensuring food safety is the number one priority in food, including chocolate production. Despite rigorous quality control measures, the unique properties of chocolate, such as its high-fat content and low water activity, create an environment where Salmonella can survive for extended periods.
Chocolate's composition, which includes fats, sugars, and proteins, can interfere with the efficiency of microbiological assays and detection methods. Additionally, contamination in chocolate is often observed at very low levels, necessitating highly sensitive testing methods to identify pathogens reliably.
Detecting low contamination levels in this complex matrix of chocolate often requires sample preparations and pre-enrichments to allow bacteria to multiply to detectable levels, thereby significantly increasing the time to results.
What we're looking for
We are seeking innovative, cost-effective solutions that can accelerate the detection of Salmonella in cocoa and chocolate within production environments.
Solutions of interest include:
- Specialty growth media
- Spectrophotometric methods
- RNA-based tests (e.g., RT-qPCR, CRISPR)
- Automated protocols that minimize sample handling requirements
- Biosensor-based platforms
- Immunoassays optimized for chocolate matrices
Our must-have requirements are:
- Detects Salmonella ssp., including atypical subspecies (e.g. lactose positive, non-motile)
- Detection limit must be 1 CFU (colony forming unit) per 375g of product or equivalent
- Total testing duration 8h or less
- Demonstrates potential for cost efficiency, with a target cost per test of less than 50 Euros (at scale)
Our nice-to-have's are:
- Requires minimal operator training
- Avoids hazardous reagents or equipment
Email Swapneeta Date, CTTC Assistant Director of Life Sciences Collaborations, at Swapneeta.Date@Vanderbilt.edu for more information.