Thermo Fisher Scientific makes it Easier to Test Food for Shiga Toxin-producing E. coli

Thermo Fisher Scientific has announced the availability of the new DuPont Qualicon BAX® System Real-Time STEC Assay Suite.

The new BAX® System STEC Assay Suite includes a screening assay and two panel assays. The screening assay detects STEC virulence genes (stx1, stx2 and eae), quickly and conveniently ruling out negative samples. The panel assays determine which of the six clinically most significant STEC serogroups identified over the past 20 years (O26, O111, O121, O45, O103 and O14) a positive sample contains.

The BAX® System STEC Assay Suite is simple to use. Single-stage enrichment is complete in as little as nine hours. Dual tests for STEC and O157:H7 can be run from the same prepared sample (also used for the panel assays). With no need for additional sample prep between tests, hands-on time and the risk of cross-contamination are reduced. Rapid real-time processing delivers results in less than one hour, allowing food processors to make product-release decisions quickly and with confidence.

The BAX® System allows food laboratories to easily, quickly and accurately detect organisms in raw ingredients, finished products and environmental samples. The cycler/detector allows samples to be loaded and left to run. Interpreted results are clearly displayed on-screen, with raw data easily accessible.

The BAX® system decreases false positives and minimizes re-testing, it helps reduce employee training and increases product time to market. The speed and accuracy of DNA-based detection; the simplicity of the load-it and leave-it operation; the familiarity of the Microsoft™ Windows™ interface: The BAX® system combines all this, for smooth testing procedures at any stage in the processing pipeline.

Assays for the BAX® System Q7 include: Salmonella, Genus Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Staphylococcus aureus, Campylobacter coli/jejuni/lari, E. sakazakii (Cronobacter), Vibrio cholerae/parahaemolyticus/vulnificus, yeast and mould and now the new, BAX® Real-Time STEC Assay Suite.