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update:Jun 12, 2006
Colour coding Campylobacter
A ready-to-use test that changes colour when exposed to Campylobacter
in food products has been developed by French company
bioMérieux.
The test, called CampyFood ID, turns colonies (formed in a culture medium of
clear agar) an orange-red colour, making it easier to distinguish them,
according to the in vitro diagnostics company based in
Marcy-l'Etoile.
Campylobacter, primarily C. jejuni, is the third
leading cause of death from foodborne infections in the world. It is believed
that Campylobacteriosis
in humans is mainly caused by the ingestion of undercooked poultry meat, or
cross contamination with infected poultry meat. The pathogen is the cause of
enteric infections that can be severe enough to cause death or serious
neurological damage, and many strains are resistant to
antibiotics.
Campylobacter testing is not often required by food
safety regulations, but food companies do have a responsibility to adopt
measures to guarantee food safety. A new international ISO standard on detecting
of Campylobacter was recently issued (ISO 10272-1:2006).
CampyFood
ID's effectiveness is due to it's specific composition - a combination of a
coloured indicator with antibiotics. The charcoal or blood media normally used
to test for Campylobacter pathogens are not easily readable by food labs, making
Campylobacter analysis complex and long.
The new test is part of
bioMérieux's offering in the food microbiology segement of the market. The
company also makes tests for Listeria and L. monocytogenes, Salmonella, E. coli
and E. coli O157:H7.
A report released by the European Commission
about the persistence of a range of foodborne diseases indicated a general
increase in the EU of reported cases of campylobacteriosis over the past several
years.
Editor WorldPoultry
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