VICAM Introduces Vertu Lateral Flow Reader for Onsite and Laboratory Mycotoxin Detection

The Waters Corporation today announced VICAM®, a Waters® Business, launched Vertu™, a digital lateral flow reader for fast, easy, mycotoxin quantitation. The Vertu reader provides more accessible mycotoxin testing to food and agriculture producers worldwide who rely on early detection to protect humans and animals from potentially lethal effects of contamination. The economic impact of mycotoxins is vast. Crop losses, management, product recalls and regulatory oversight result in total costs in the billions of dollars annually to the global food supply chain.

"Regulatory levels set by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Union (EU) and other international regulatory bodies require that mycotoxin testing be performed at nearly every point of a product’s handling and processing,” said Marjorie Radlo, General Manager, Director of Operations, for VICAM. “The Vertu reader provides businesses dependent on rapid mycotoxin detection methods for their agricultural products confidence that their products are within regulated limits.”

“The Vertu system for mycotoxin testing gives customers testing at the point of sampling exceptional value with fast, accurate numerical results using fewer solvents in less time. Simple enough to be used by field or laboratory staff, the Vertu system continues to provide accuracy and reliability that are the hallmarks of VICAM products," said Dr. Stephen Powers, Head of Research & Development for VICAM.

Mycotoxins are naturally occurring chemical byproducts of ubiquitous mold species which are natural inhabitants of crop soils. Severe rain or drought can encourage mycotoxin production – and, once released, mycotoxins are difficult to manage and virtually impossible to destroy. VICAM offers detection systems for single and multiple mycotoxin quantification both onsite and in-laboratory screening. The USDA, FDA, EU and other international regulatory standards impose specific guidelines for acceptable levels for various mycotoxins, such as aflatoxins, deoxynivalenol (DON), ochratoxin A, fumonisin, zearalenone and T2/HT2. Producers and exporters use onsite testing to ensure regulatory compliance and to protect human and animal health.

No special training or expertise is required to operate VICAM’s Vertu lateral flow reader. Operators obtain results in part-per-billion (ppb) or part-per-million (ppm) in minutes, providing critical data for the management and control of mycotoxins.

The Vertu technology enhances VICAM’s portfolio of single-use food safety tests designed to detect contaminants in ppb and meet the increasingly stringent regulatory and economic challenges confronting today’s global food chain. With a comprehensive product line evaluated and trusted by industry leaders in more than 100 countries, VICAM is the leader in rapid mycotoxin test solutions.

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