Life Technologies said today that its Applied Biosystems PCR-based MicroSEQ Salmonella spp. detection kit has been validated by the Association of Analytical Communities Research Institute.
Life Tech said that the validation is expected to help ensure food safety through more effective monitoring of food supply for Salmonella contamination.
The AOAC Research Institute has validated the MicroSEQ Salmonella spp. kit for use with 11 different food sample types, and for high- and low-throughput testing. Life Tech said that the validation meets the "stringent pathogen-detection requirements of many companies and testing organizations responsible for safeguarding food supplies."
Sharon Brunelle, a technical consultant for AOAC Research Institute, said in a statement that Life Tech "has demonstrated that the … kit performs as well or better than the ISO reference method for a variety of foods, earning Performance Tested Method certification" from the institute.
The MicroSEQ detection kit uses fast real-time PCR in a lyophilized format that reduces handling of samples and chances of contamination, Life Tech said. The kit is optimized for use with the Applied Biosystems 7500 Fast Real-Time PCR system; and the workflow requires small amounts of sample and ensures detection of Salmonella in less than 18 hours, as compared to several days with conventional methods, the company said.
Life Tech expects that validation of the kit "will give food industry professionals great confidence in the results of molecular tests for the presence of this bacterium in food samples," Brian Kim, general manager of applied molecular testing for Life Tech, said in a statement.
"Utilizing this kit along with our AOAC Research Institute-validated kit for detection of Listeria monocytogenes will help government agencies and industry professionals to ensure that food supplies are protected from these harmful pathogens," Kim added.