The DuPont Qualicon BAX system, a genetics-based screening method developed by DuPont Qualicon , has been adopted by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to detect salmonella in America's ready-to-eat meat, poultry and pasteurised eggs.

The company claims that the BAX system is a breakthrough genetics-based screening method that detects target bacteria in raw ingredients, finished food products and environmental samples. The automated system, which takes little space and looks like a desktop computer, has been available since November 2000.

More than 200 BAX systems are already in use by governments, food companies and laboratories in 30 countries. The BAX system is distributed by Oxoid in Europe and Australia.

FSIS adopted the BAX system to screen for salmonella in ready-to-eat meat, poultry and pasteurised eggs after an evaluation determined that the DuPont system was as sensitive as the current method of detecting Salmonella, but reduced reporting time by at least three days.

"This new screen test will save valuable agency time and resources that can then be applied in other ways to protect public health," said FSIS under secretary for food safety Dr. Elsa A Murono.

Each year, approximately 40,000 cases of salmonellosis are reported in the United States and in 2001 over 16,000 cases were reported in the UK. People infected with salmonella should be particularly careful with personal hygiene because they could infect another person who comes into direct contact with them.