Nanoplasmonic sensor for foodborne pathogens detection. Towards development of ISO-SERS methodology for taxonomic affiliation of Campylobacter spp.

According to EU summary report on zoonoses, zoonotic agents and food-borne outbreaks in 2017, Campylobacter was the most commonly reported gastrointestinal bacterial pathogen in humans in the EU. Unfortunately, the standard methods for the detection of thermotolerant Campylobacter spp. in foods are time-consuming. Additionally, the qualified staff is obligatory. For this reason, new methods of pathogens detection are needed. The present work demonstrates that surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a reliable and fast method for detection of Campylobacter spp. in food samples. The proposed method combines the SERS measurements performed on an Ag/Si substrate with two initial steps of the ISO standard procedure. Finally, the principal component analysis (PCA) allows for statistical classification of the studied bacteria. By applying the proposed ISO-SERS-PCA method in the case of Campylobacter bacteria the total detection time may be reduced from 7 to 8 days required by ISO method to 3 to 4 days in the case of SERS-based approach.