Scientists report in ACS’ journal Analytical Chemistry a simple, paper-based test that could help detect pathogens hitchhiking on food before they reach store shelves, restaurants and, most importantly, our stomachs.

So Je-Kyun Park and colleagues set out to find a more practical way to detect foodborne pathogens.

The researchers developed a paper-based test that can handle the multi-step reactions necessary for this kind of analysis by controlling the pore size of the paper.

When dipped into solutions containing the E. coli strain O157:H7, Salmonella typhimurium or both, lines appeared on the dipstick indicating a positive result within 15 minutes.

Because the method requires dipping the device into a solution once and produces an easy-to-read result, it could be performed by workers without special training, the researchers say.