Polytechnic University of the Philippines

College of Engineering
ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERING
3rd floor, CEA bldg., NDC Campus, Anonas St., Sta. Mesa, Manila

Salmonella
Bacteria
Detection in
Pork
MEMBERS:
Brin, Miguel Carlos
Magculang, Ismael
Magkalas, Alyssa Jane
Sevilla, John Leo
Suba, Cedric Hener

BSECE IV-3

Introduction
Salmonella is one of the causes of food poisoning in the world. It can
be found in raw food products from animals such as egg products, meat, and
dairy products. In the Philippines, meat, specifically pork, is the most
common source of food.
Salmonella bacteria typically live in animal and human intestines and
are shed through feces. It become an important bacterial genus which one of
the most common forms of food poisoning worldwide. Humans become
infected most frequently through contaminated water or food. Typically,
people with salmonella infection have no symptoms. Others develop
diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps within eight to 72 hours. Most healthy
people recover within a few days without specific treatment. In some cases,
the diarrhea associated with salmonella infection can be so dehydrating as to
require prompt medical attention.
Salmonella infection usually isn't life-threatening. However, in certain
people especially infants and young children, older adults, transplant
recipients, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems,
the development of complications can be dangerous. People who can't drink

enough to replace the fluid you're losing from persistent diarrhea, you may
become dehydrated. Warning signs include: decreased urine output, dry
mouth and tongue, sunken eyes and reduced production of tears. If
salmonella infection enters your bloodstream, it can infect tissues throughout
your body. People who have had salmonella are also at higher risk of
developing reactive arthritis also known as Reiter's syndrome.
Salmonella enteric serovar Typhi, a species of Salmonella, is one of the
causes of typhoid fever. Throughout the history, it triggered many direct
outbreaks and people eventually recognized the link between typhoid fever
and contaminated food or beverages. These bacteria that also can be found
in hogs succumbed to the disease known as hog cholera (Dr Tomislav
Mestrovic, MD, PhD).
Background of the Study
Evolution of Salmonella became drastic that it can be found in
gastrointestinal tracts of animals. Due to its evolution, animal feces and
water sources are being tested. Salmonellae are also been able to survive in
meats and animal products that are not thoroughly cooked and still animal
products

are

the

main

cause

of

transmission.

According

to

Rapid

Microbiology in Ireland, in detection and isolation of Salmonella, stool

samples are the most frequently tested. Large numbers of food ingredients
and food products are routinely tested by the food industry.

In traditional methods, clinical samples are typically cultured directly

onto selective agar media, such as Xylose-Lysine-Desoxycholate (XLD) agar.
The samples are being incubated at 37 degrees Celsius for 18-24 hours. In
addition, stool sample are usually inoculated enrichment broth. The stool
samples are also incubated at 37 degrees Celsius for 18-24 hours. Through
this method of detection, it takes three to five days to obtain the result.
For this reason a substantial number of alternative rapid screening
methods have been developed. Salmonella rapid test and screening kits
utilize

several

different

techniques,

including

cultural

techniques,

immunomagenetic separation. Some methods can be automated to screen

large numbers of samples. In replacing the culture in selective agars, almost
all rapid test protocols include a selective enrichment stage, and then apply
concentration and rapid detection. Most can claim of producing a result in
approximately 48 hours or less, depending on the enrichment protocol.
Development of methods in detecting Salmonella became wide within
the last decade.

Significant progress has been made in the preparation

techniques for improved isolation and detection of Salmonella in foods and

ingredients. The use of immunomagenetic separation technique is now
routinely applied in various diagnostic labs for a variety of food-borne
pathogens including Salmonella. This method separates the target organism
from background flora. The application of rapid methods for the detection,
identification and characteristics of Salmonella provides a useful tool for

assessment of the safety of food products when used in conjunction with

safety programs such as the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP).
The proponents are trying to make a faster way to detect the
Salmonella species on the sample. The device can detect faster than the
other methods of detecting it nowadays. The device has also a higher
sensitivity and accuracy in detecting the device in lesser time.
Statement of the Problem
The proponent aims to resolve the problem in taking pork that were
contaminated with salmonella bacteria, which can cause diarrhea, fever, and
abdominal cramps 8 to 72 hours after infection. The researcher will gather
data and information by conducting experiments with regards to their device.
Particularly, it seeks to answer the following set of questions:
1. On what weight can we detect the peak effectiveness of salmonella in
pork?
Kg
kg
kg
1kg
2. What are the factors that may affect the detection of salmonella
bacteria?

3. What is the best way to detect salmonella bacteria in pork?

4. How long will it take to detect the bacteria in the pork when frozen from
malls? Exposed in markets?
5. How long will it take to detect the bacteria in its highest effectiveness?

Theoretical Framework

Salmonella are commonly implicated in cases of food poisoning and

constitute one of the major problems confronting health authorities
everywhere. An estimated two to four million people are infected annually.
Outbreaks of salmonella if not prevented, can be controlled if the presence of
the organism can be established. Many outbreaks of this disease have been
resolved by locating the source. However, if a particular species is widely
distributed, it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to assess its role in an
outbreak.
One of the most important properties of bacteriophage is its host
specificity and its accompanying ability to distinguish types among
apparently identical serotypes. Epidemiological use has been made of this
property, and a number of commonly occurring Salmonella serotypes are
now routinely characterized throughout the world by phage typing. In the
course of activities to develop phage typing sets for some of the more
important salmonella, it was observed that one single set of phages could be
used to delineate a variety of Salmonella C, and C, serotypes.
Given this revelation, studies proceeded to develop a single set of
phages for typing Salmonella serotypes representative of serological groups
E1, E2, E3, and E4. Using a collection of Salmonella anatum, S. binza, and S.
senftenberg phages developed in a laboratory. They were able to type 412 of
the 420 Salmonella El, E2, E3, and E4 cultures examined at random. The lytic
pattern of these phages is noted. Isolates to be typed were lightly inoculated

into 3 ml of nutrient broth and incubated at 37C for 1.5 h or until turbidity
was barely detectable. A small quantity of the broth culture was then flooded
onto a nutrient agar plate, allowed to dry for approximately 15 min, and then
spotted with phages by using a 1-ml syringe with a 26-gauge needle.
All of the phages employed in this study were used at a routine test
dilution of not less than 10-3. The plates were incubated overnight at 37C
and read the next day. The cultures were examined with the aid of an X10
aplantic hand lens and viewed through the bottom of the plate. Phage
activity was recorded on the basis of the reactions. The convenience inherent
in this expanded typing set appears to be epidemiologically significant.
To further explain some principles about this study, the researcher
used the QIAGENs microbial detection principle. It states that:
1. In mechanical disruption of bacteria and fungi, some pathogens
contain small beads that are suitable for lysing bacteria. Both
accessory kits include reagents, which prevents foaming of the
sample during the mechanical disruption.
2. For purification of total DNA from animal blood and tissues and
from bacteria, tissue kits provide fast and easy silica-based DNA
purification in convenient spin-column. Most samples can be
directly

lysed

with

proteinase,

eliminating

the

need

for

mechanical disruption and reducing hands-on time. Optimized

protocols

for

specific

sample

types

provide

reproducible

purification of high-quality DNA for life science, genotyping, and

veterinary pathogen research applications.
Conceptual Framework
The study is analyzed and presented in terms of its input, process and
output. The input is the object to be subjected for experimentation. The
process is presented based on how the entity will possibly detect the specific
microbes on the subject matter. And the outcome of the study is presented
as well.
Significance of the study
The study will be a significant endeavor in securing the safety in
buying and in taking meat, specifically pork that were contaminated with
salmonella bacteria. This study will be a great help to every consumer of
pork meat in the market. By detecting the salmonella contamination in pork
meat, it triggers to prevent people to suffer from diarrhea, fever and
stomach cramps due to salmonella bacteria within the pork.
Moreover, this study will be helpful in both the retailer and the
consumer in providing safety over the pork meat. It will also serve as a future
reference for researchers of salmonella bacteria. And importantly, this
research will be helpful to the Food and Drug Administration (FAD, formerly
the Bureau of Food and Drugs, BFAD) in the accuracy in detecting the
amount of contamination in the pork meat.

Scope and Limitations of the Study

The scope of this study is
The limitations of the proposed research
Definition of Terms
Salmonella bacteria the name of a group of bacteria, is one of the most
common causes of food poisoning. Usually, symptoms last 4-7 days and
most people get better without treatment. But, Salmonella can cause more
serious illness in older adults, infants, and persons with chronic diseases. It is
sometimes killed by cooking and pasteurization.
Detection the act of detecting or sensing something; discovering something
that was hidden; finding out of a constituent, a signal, an agent or the like,
mostly by means of specific device or method.
Pork - meat of the pig ; swineflesh