Meeting EPA Requirements: Utilizing Authenticated Strain Panels to Validate Food Safety and Water Treatment Methods

Validated microbial reference materials are essential for developing and evaluating analytical methods used in drinking water, wastewater, and agricultural water testing. Here, we described the creation of structured strain panels that have been assembled for applications such as agricultural water method validation, Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serogroup detection, and seed sterilization studies. Each panel contains a defined set of bacterial strains selected to align with the requirements outlined in FDA and EPA testing protocols.

These collections include relevant serotypes of Salmonella enterica, Listeria monocytogenes, and STEC, providing standardized materials to access method sensitivity, specificity, and robustness. Genomic data, including antimicrobial resistance annotations derived from tools such as AMRFinderPlus, CARD, and ResFinder, support detailed strain selection and characterization.

The availability of authenticated, low-passage reference materials supports consistent and reproducible validation of water treatment and disinfection methods. These panels support harmonized microbial safety testing across research, industry, and regulatory laboratories.