A new BAX system assay from DuPont Qualicon that uses real-time polymerase chain reactions to detect Campylobacter has been certified as Performance Tested Method No. 040702 by the AOAC Research Institute in Gaithersburg, Md.
Validation studies on enriched samples of ready-to-eat turkey and chicken carcass rinses compared BAX system performance to the ISO 10272-1:2006 culture method. AOAC-RI found that qualitative results with the BAX system demonstrated sensitivity that was equivalent to the reference method, with 99 percent specificity, the company says in a release.
The system can detect and differentiate three food-borne species of Campylobacter (C. jejuni, C. coli and C. lari) in the same sample. With processing times of less than 90 minutes, it can deliver next-day results on enriched samples, the company says.
The BAX system can detect pathogens or other organisms — such as salmonella, listeria, E. coli O157:H7, Enterobacter sakazakii and Staphylococcus aureus — in raw ingredients, finished products and environmental samples using PCR assays, tablet reagents and optimized media, the company says.