Development of experimental protocols and traceable spectral for rapid identification of foodborne pathogens by infrared imaging spectroscopy

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A partnership between researchers in the Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry of McGill University and Varian Canada Inc. has been formed to develop new technology for the rapid, automated identification of foodborne bacteria. Foodborne illnesses remain very common occurrences, with more than 40% of the Canadian population being afflicted each year according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. From a public health perspective, such illnesses not only can constitute a serious health risk, primarily for the very young, the infirm, and the elderly, but also represent a substantial burden on the healthcare system, taking up increasingly scarce resources that could otherwise be applied toward other health concerns. In economic terms, foodborne illnesses are a leading cause of lost productivity, and the associated costs combined with medical expenses have been estimated to reach $1.3 billion/yr in Canada. Various species of bacteria are responsible for a large proportion of foodborne illnesses, and the availability of rapid, cost-effective methods to identify these species is important to both public health agencies and the food industry. In this CRD project, a new identification technology based on the use of infrared imaging spectroscopy to "fingerprint" bacteria will be developed. A database or "spectral library" containing the infrared spectral fingerprints of approximately 200 strains of common foodborne bacteria will be created, and data analysis algorithms will be developed to allow for identification of bacteria isolated from food by matching of their spectral fingerprints against those in the database. In addition, a standardized experimental protocol will be established, and infrared image acquisition, processing, and interpretation will be automated so that this technique can be routinely employed in microbiological analysis laboratories. The integrated system will be evaluated by researchers at Health Canada's regional (Quebec) laboratory. The successful completion of this three-year project will provide those responsible for food safety with a new and powerful tool for the rapid identification of foodborne bacteria.