bioMérieux Announces AOAC-RI Certification of its New VIDAS UP E. Coli O157 (Including H7 Strain) Detection Kit

bioMérieux, a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, today announced that an AOAC-RI certification has been granted (No. 060903) to the VIDAS® UP E. coli O157 (Including H7) method for screening beef, selected produce and irrigation water. Food manufacturers in the U.S. and many other countries rely on AOAC-RI certified testing methods to release their products on the market. The new solution is based on recombinant phage protein, the latest technology available for food pathogen screening, which offers unique specificity and sensitivity. E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially lethal strain of Escherichia coli that has caused many food outbreaks in the United States, Canada, Japan, and Europe. VIDAS UP is the fastest method to detect E. coli O157 (including H7) in raw beef that has obtained both AFNOR Validation/ISO 16140 and AOAC-RI certifications. The method can deliver results in as little as 8 hours, where traditional methods can take up to 24 hours. It also has the flexibility of analyzing a broader range of sample sizes (up to 375 grams), allowing the food industry to more effectively manage their quality control process and improve their risk management.

“Our unique bacteriophage technology represents a new generation of tests for the VIDAS platform that delivers speed, added specificity and sensitivity,” said Alexandre Mérieux, bioMérieux Corporate Vice President, Industrial Microbiology. “E. coli O157:H7 is an increasing problem that greatly concerns us and we are pleased to have achieved AOAC-RI and AFNOR Validation/ISO 16140 approvals for a new solution that will help to protect consumers from food-borne illnesses.”

Bacteriophages are highly specific viruses that only infect bacteria. They use adhesion structures to bind to their bacterial hosts. In VIDAS UP, special binding proteins from bacteriophages are used for the first time for the targeted capture and detection of bacteria from a sample. This technology provides best-in-class sensitivity and specificity. Exclusively licensed to bioMérieux, the recombinant phage technology was developed by the German biotech company Hyglos GmbH. The new test is available on VIDAS®, the world’s leading automated system for food-borne pathogen detection.

For more information: www.biomerieux-industry.com/vidasup

About VIDAS®

VIDAS® is the world’s leading automated system for food-borne pathogen detection with tests for Escherichia coli O157 (Including H7), Salmonella, Listeria spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus enterotoxins and Campylobacter. VIDAS® and its compact version, mini VIDAS®, are multiparametric systems using ELFA (Enzyme Linked Fluorescent Assay) technology, and based on a ready-to-use single-sample test concept.

About AOAC-RI

The AOAC Research Institute (AOAC RI) is a subsidiary of AOAC INTERNATIONAL, a globally recognized, independent, not-for-profit association founded in 1884. AOAC serves the analytical sciences community by providing validated methods and technical standards that give confidence in analytical results. For more information see the AOAC website at http://www.aoac.org