Method of optimizing a nucleic acid hybridization assay for detection of salmonella in RV growth media

A method for optimizing a nucleic acid hybridization assay for the DNA or RNA of Salmonella in a sample propagated in RV medium comprising

• adding the sample to RV medium under conditions sufficient to allow any Salmonella in the sample to propagate,
• propagating the Salmonella, if any, in said medium for a time sufficient to allow the number of Salmonella to reach a predetermined titer,
• adding a chelating agent to said medium after said predetermined titer is reached, and
• adding a nucleic acid probe to said medium under stringency conditions sufficient to allow said probe to hybridize with the DNA or RNA of Salmonella, if any, to form hybridization products, wherein said chelating agent is added prior to hybridization and in an amount sufficient to increase the hybridization reaction as compared to a hybridization reaction under the same conditions without an added chelating agent, thereby optimizing the nucleic acid hybridization assay.