Development of a quantitative PCR method coupled with PMA to quantify viable Salmonella spp. cells in the pork supply chain

In 2017, Salmonella spp. was implied in 30 % of foodborne diseases in France (SPF, 2019). Few data on the contamination levels of Salmonella spp. are available along the pork supply chain. The protocol of the standard method (ISO/TS 6579-2:2012) is time-consuming and culture-based methods using chromogenic media are less efficient for matrices with high levels of background flora, and for recovering stressed cells. Along the food chain, the cells may be impacted by various stresses (e.g. chemical or thermal), which may lead to physiological changes and the emergence of viable but non-culturable cells (VBNCs).