Sampling and Homogenization Strategies Significantly Influence the Detection of Foodborne Pathogens in Meat
Table 1
Properties of the chosen homogenization devices.
Method
Stomaching (Bagmixer 400)
FastPrep-24
SpeedMill
Branson Sonifier 450
Principle
Blending by movable paddles
Bead-mediated milling
Bead-mediated milling
Sonication
Handling
+
+
+
+/−
Portability and on-site usage
−
−
+
−
Adaptability to different matrices
+/−
+/−
Current usage for detection by cultivation
++
−
−
−
Parallel sample preparation
−
+ (2–48)
+ (2–20)
−
Suitability for high volumes
++ (<400 mL)
+ (<50 mL)
− (<2 mL)
+ (<50 mL)
Available volume range
+/−
+
+/−
+
Avoidance of heat generation
+
+/−
+/−
+/−
Performance in this study
Surface contamination
+
+
+
+
Inner-matrix contamination
Variable
+
+/−
−
++: excellent, +: good, +/−: ambiguous, and −: poor. Various matrix-specific kits and beads for sample preparation are commercially available. The parallel preparation of 48 samples is only possible for volumes smaller than 2 mL. Two samples can be homogenized simultaneously for the highest volume input. Exact volumes depend on the sizes of the used bags, BD Falcon tubes, and lysis tubes.
