A new BAX system assay from DuPont Qualicon that uses innovative technology for rapid Listeria detection has been certified as Performance Tested Method No. 030801 by the AOAC Research Institute (RI) of Gaithersburg, Md.
Validation studies compared BAX system performance to the standard culture method used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service. AOAC-RI found that the automated BAX system performed significantly better than the culture method for detecting Listeria on stainless steel surfaces, the company said. Moreover, by using advanced technology called reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to jump-start the reaction, results are available just eight hours after sampling.
The automated system uses leading-edge technology, including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays, tableted reagents and optimized media, to also detect Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, Enterobacter sakazakii, Campylobacter and Staphylococcus aureus, the company said.