In the news

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University of Georgia food scientist Xiangyu Deng has created a system that can identify foodborne pathogens much faster than traditional methods. Dr. Deng had combined the detection step and the identification of pathogens into a single step in a process called “metagenomics analysis”. He used Immunomagnetic separation (IMS) beads to capture the pathogens followed by the amplification of the DNA. “Using a new, very small sequencing tool that’s about the size of a USB drive, we can sequence while capturing the data in real time,” Deng said. The sequencer generates results in 1- 1.5 hours. The process was tested on raw chicken breast, lettuce and black peppercorn samples inoculated with salmonella and retail chicken parts that were naturally contaminated with different serotypes of salmonella. In one case, a small amount of salmonella was detected and subtyped from lettuce samples within 24 hours.@http://www.caes.uga.edu/newswire/story.html?storyid=7552

The number of food recalls significantly increased in the between 2005 to 2013. The report examines the products and risks that may have contributed to this increase. The report shows that between 2004 and 2008, food recalls averaged 304 a year; between 2009 and 2013, the annual average rose to 676.
The results reveal that recalls increased in several food categories (grain products, animal products, and prepared foods and meals), increased across all three risk severity classes, and occurred more frequently in highly populated States. Undeclared allergens were a leading cause of food product recalls, with the number of undeclared allergens recalls nearly doubling over the decade. During this period the majority of the recall occurred in the following categories: prepared foods and meals, excluding soups (11.9 percent of all food recalls); nuts, seeds, and nut products (10.9 percent); baked goods (9 percent); grains and grain products (8.4 percent); candy products (7.9 percent); and sauces, condiments and dressings (5 percent). @ https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/88497/eib-191.pdf?v=43206

The Polyskope 1.0 pathogen detection method utilizes Real Time PCR detection technology to detect the “Big Three” (Shiga Toxin Escherichia coli (STEC), Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes) foodborne pathogens responsible for the majority of foodborne illness and outbreaks. The system detects simultaneous any, or all three, of the major pathogens in a single overnight enrichment. Resulting in a 3-fold reduction in labor, media/reagent costs, regulatory burden, sample prep, media prep, laboratory space required, disposables used, and equipment required while still delivering results in 24 hours. PolySkope’s preferred platform is Thermo Fisher’s Applied QuantomStudio 5 96 well instrument. The assay just got AOAC PTM approval for the 3 assays. Currently approve matrices include: Ready-to-eat (RTE) turkey (25 g); Baby spinach (25g); raw ground beef (25g); and Stainless steel (4”x4” sponge). @ https://finance.yahoo.com/news/polyskope-labs-receives-aoac-performance-205200814.html