Biomerieux has received Performance-Tested Methods (PTM) approval from the AOAC Research Institute for two critical identification cards for the food industry
The Vitek 2 Gram-Positive (GP) card is certified for the identification of Listeria and Staphylococcus species and the Vitek 2 Gram-Negative (GN) card is certified to identify Gram-negative organisms such as Salmonella and E coli O157.
"Our validation programmes use rigorous testing methods to measure a product's performance in several key performance parameters including accuracy, precision, sensitivity, specificity, and ruggedness," said Scott Coates, managing director, AOAC Research Institute.
"In addition, the test cards were validated by an AOAC RI recommended independent laboratory".
Recent reports from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveal that 76 million Americans get sick, more than 300,000 are hospitalized, and 5000 people die from foodborne illnesses each year.
The most commonly recognized foodborne infections are caused by bacteria such as Listeria, Salmonella, and E coli O157:H7.
"Rapid and accurate identification of foodborne pathogens and biological threat organisms is crucial for ensuring food safety and protecting consumer health," stated Alexandre Merieux, Biomerieux corporate vice president, industrial microbiology.
"Biomerieux is honoured to be recognized by such a highly-respected programme.
"In light of recent food contamination concerns, we are particularly pleased to be able to support our customers with the most effective identification methods to ensure food quality and public health".
The Vitek 2 GP and GN cards were developed to address growing demand for quality control measures within the food industry and provide identification of organisms in just hours, while traditional methods take days to deliver results.
The GN card offers automated identification of the most significant fermenting and non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli, including several Salmonella species and E coli O157, in addition to the select agent organisms Brucella melitensis, Francisella tularensis, Burkholderia mallei, Burkholderia pseudomallei and Yersinia pestis.
The Vitek 2 GP card provides rapid identification of common Gram-positive organisms, including Listeria and Staphylococcus species.
