**6. Conclusions and future perspectives on** *Salmonella* **detection methods**

A wide range of methods for the detection of *Salmonella* has been developed in the last decade and significant progress has been made in sample preparation techniques for improved isolation and detection of *Salmonella* in foods and food ingredients. The use of immunomagenetic separation technique which separates target organisms from background flora, is now routinely applied in various diagnostic labs for a variety of foodborne pathogens including *Salmonella*. This technique has increased the sensitivity of the detection of *Salmonella* in various types of food and food ingredients as well as environmental samples with high levels of background. Similarly, the application of molecular methods, immunological methods, and bacteriophage detection systems for *Salmonella* is now routine in many diagnostic food microbiology labs. Novel technologies such as the application of biosensors, microarrays, and nanotechnology are currently in the research stage and these are likely to become available for routine testing of food and food ingredients within the next decade.

The application of rapid methods for the detection, identification, and characterization of *Salmonella* provides a useful tool for assessment of the safety of food products when used in conjunction with foodsafety programs such as the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) program for the assessment of raw materials and food ingredients used in food processing and production. Further improvements to rapid methods for isolation and detection of *Salmonella* and other microbial pathogens will continue to focus on sample enrichment and preparation procedures to reduce test turn around times and increase the sensitivity of detection, and also on the application of novel technologies such as biosensors, microarrays and nanotechnology for pathogen detection in foods.
