The DuPont BAX® System assay has been certified by the AOAC Research Institute as a Performance Tested Method (PTM) for detecting Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in beef trim and ground beef. The certification means food companies can now use a single platform of validated methods for pathogen testing.
The AOAC Research Institute validated the BAX System method as equivalent to the reference culture method for detecting STEC, but with much faster time to results. BAX System assays for detecting E. coli O157:H7, Listeria spp, and many other pathogens are already PTM-certified. Beyond that, AOAC International has awarded Official Method of Analysis (OMA) status to the BAX® System for detecting for Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes.
The BAX System suite of STEC assays, based on real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology, was developed in collaboration with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Services (ARS) and was recently included, along with the BAX® System real-time PCR assay for E. coli O157:H7, in the Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook of the Food Safety & Inspection Service (USDA FSIS).
“With this certification, our entire portfolio of BAX® System assays for three important foodborne pathogens—E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes—has been validated by AOAC, “ said Doris Engesser-Sudlow, global director for molecular diagnostics, DuPont Nutrition & Health. “This means that food companies can use one molecular-based platform for those pathogen testing needs, with confidence in accurate results that are certified as reliable and reproducible."
