USDA Approves DuPont Bacteria Detection Technology

NEW YORK - Nov 15/05 - SNS -- The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has started using a new E. coli O157:H7 detection test for raw beef inspections that was developed by DuPont Qualicon for the BAX system.

Traditional biological tests for the pathogen require long waits of several days while the E. coli O157:H7 grow into colonies on agar plates. The BAX system from DuPont Qualicon delivers test results in a little more than a day.

The FSIS had previously adopted the BAX system to detect Salmonella in raw and ready-to eat meat, poultry and pasteurized egg products. The agency also uses the BAX system to detect Listeria monocytogenes in red meat, poultry, eggs and environmental samples.

According to the World Health Organization, up to 30% of the people in industrialized countries suffer from foodborne diseases each year. In the United States, about 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths occur annually due to food that has been contaminated by pathogens.

Salmonellosis is a common problem in many countries, with estimates of 1.4 million cases reported annually in the United States. While listeriosis and infection from enterohemorrhagic E. coli are less frequent, their severe and sometimes fatal health consequences make them among the most serious foodborne infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that E. coli O157:H7 causes about 73,000 cases of infection and 61 deaths in the United States each year, usually from eating undercooked ground beef.

The BAX system from DuPont Qualicon uses advanced molecular technology to detect target bacteria in raw ingredients, finished food products and environmental samples. Assays are available for detecting E. coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Listeria genus, Enterobacter sakazakii, Campylobacter jejuni/coli and yeast and mold. The automated system is user- friendly and fits easily onto a laboratory bench top. Introduced in November 2000, hundreds of BAX systems are already in use by governments, food companies and laboratories around the world.