Systems, kits, and methods for preventing membrane fouling

A method of improving a food safety test process for pathogen detection, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) introducing a growth medium or a buffer to a food or beverage to prepare a fluid sample;
• b) treating the fluid sample with a kosmotropic agent;
• c) processing the fluid sample in a filtration system by passing the fluid sample through a membrane;
• d) extracting a retentate of the fluid sample from the filtration system;
• and
• e) detecting presence of pathogen from the extracted retentate;
• wherein the fluid sample treated with the kosmotropic agent reduces or prevents membrane fouling, thereby increasing a volume of the fluid sample that passes through a membrane in the filtration system at least 1.5 times more than the fluid sample not treated with the kosmotropic agent.

A food safety test kit for pathogen detection, comprising:

• a) a membrane;
• b) a growth medium or a buffer;
• and
• c) a kosmotropic agent that is polyethylene glycol (PEG), monosaccharide, disaccharide, polysaccharides, proline, betaine, trehalose, or combination thereof.

A method of reducing or preventing membrane fouling in a filtration system, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) treating a food sample with a wash medium comprising a kosmotropic agent to prepare a rinsate;
• and
• b) passing the rinsate through a membrane in a filtration system;
• wherein the rinsate comprising the kosmotropic agent reduces or prevents the membrane fouling, thereby increasing a volume of the rinsate that passes through the membrane at least 1.5 times more than the food sample treated with a wash medium not comprising the kosmotropic agent.

A method of improving a food safety test process for pathogen detection, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) treating a food sample with a wash medium comprising a kosmotropic agent to prepare a rinsate;
• b) passing the rinsate through a membrane in a filtration system;
• c) extracting a retentate of the rinsate from the filtration system;
• and
• d) detecting presence of pathogen from the extracted retentate;
• wherein the rinsate comprising the kosmotropic agent reduces or prevents the membrane fouling, thereby increasing a volume of the rinsate that passes through the membrane at least 1.5 times more than the food sample treated with a wash medium not comprising the kosmotropic agent.

A food safety test kit for pathogen detection, comprising:

• a) a membrane;
• b) a wash medium;
• and
• c) a kosmotropic agent that is polyethylene glycol (PEG), monosaccharide, disaccharide, polysaccharides, proline, betaine, trehalose, or combination thereof.