Ultra sensitive Chloramphenicol drug residue test kit launched for routine screening of food products of animal origin
Biacore has launched a new rapid screening kit for the detection of Chloramphenicol drug residues.
The Qflex kit Chloramphenicol will be an indispensable tool in routine screening for this banned antibiotic drug in food products of animal origin.
To prevent chemical residues entering the food chain, both producers and government surveillance schemes need technology and methods that provide rapid, accurate results that are also reliable at the required sensitivity.
Biacore Q, a system for concentration analysis, together with Biacore's leading sensor chip technology and the Qflex kits, are making their mark in this area.
Enhancing both the reliable detection of chemical contaminants and the ability of the food industry to ensure food safety and quality.
"The availability of this precise, highly sensitive kit will enable those involved in food manufacturing and quality assurance to reliably detect Chloramphenicol to very low levels in animal matrices," said Esa Stenberg, vice president and head of food business unit at Biacore.
"This is important to satisfy customer concerns on food safety, fulfill statutory testing requirements and to crucially allow the monitoring of meat product imports for this chemical contaminant." The use of Chloramphenicol in human medicine is associated with the development of aplastic anaemia, a rare but serious blood disorder, resulting in the 'unexplained' failure of bone marrow to produce blood cells.
As a result, Chloramphenicol is banned from use in veterinary medicine.
The drug may also be carcinogenic.
Public health concerns exist that the drug is still widely available in developing countries and in common use in animal production. Recently, Chloramphenicol residues have been detected in various foodstuffs imported into the European Union from Asian countries. Products affected include poultry, shrimps and honey.
The combination of Biacore Q and Qflex kit Chloramphenicol facilitates routine end user detection of Chloramphenicol residues in meat, shellfish, milk and honey.
Providing an unrivalled alternative to traditional methods, the assay is a robust, automated, label-free inhibition method reducing the risk of experimental errors.
Sample preparation is minimal.
Qflex kits also provide the flexibility required for further method development if required.
Qflex kit Chloramphenicol contains a sensor chip and all critical reagents required to perform the inhibition assay, including a reference standard.
The new Chloramphenicol kit is an important addition to the Qflex kit portfolio for drug residues, which includes clenbuterol, ractopamine, streptomycin, sulphamethazine and sulphadiazine.
