The Veratox for Total Aflatoxin can deliver results from 5 to 300 parts per billion (ppb) after 10 minutes.
It detects the four principle types of aflatoxin, B1, B2, G1 and G2, with what the firm said is ‘superior cross-reactivity’ when compared to other available tests.
Format benefits
Ed Bradley, Neogen's vice president for food safety, said the Veratox microwell format allows testing of 20 samples at a time.
“[This] is a big advantage to high-volume testers who want the advantages of using a water-based extraction method in a high-throughput platform,” he said.
“Microwell tests are considered most effective in a lab setting with the reason being it takes a lab technique, they are more economical as you can do a larger number of samples.
“Lateral Flow Devices are a relatively new technology compared to microwell formats, it is the same basic scientific principle in an easier to use format.”
Veratox for Total Aflatoxin is the first ELISA microwell test to use a water-based extraction procedure.
All other products developed for water-based extraction and testing of aflatoxin have been lateral flow devices (LFDs).
The Veratox format is typically used by high throughput labs and LFDs are used upon receipt of trucks where it is difficult to batch samples (one at a time sample testing).
Why water-based extraction
Bradley said the movement to water-based extraction started about five years ago.
“It is to do with human safety and of the environment and there is a cost reduction. For the supplier of the solvents the cost to ship organic solvents is higher than water-based solvents.
“Aflatoxin testing is the biggest in mycotoxin testing and it continues to grow, the regulatory limits and consumers wanting clean food are important factors as well as the food manufacturers wanting to protect their brand and the consumers.”
The test took 12 months to develop from the idea to the product launch, said Bradley.
He added the firm will look for USDA GIPSA (Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration) and then AOAC certification so users can see third party validation of the kit.
Neogen also offers a water-based aflatoxin test in a test strip format, Reveal Q+ for Aflatoxin Green.
The Reveal Q+ test strips are read in Neogen's AccuScan lateral flow test reader to deliver quantitative results ranging from 2 to 150 ppb of aflatoxin after six minutes.
Its full line of mycotoxin test kits detect aflatoxin, aflatoxin M1, deoxynivalenol (DON), fumonisin, ochratoxin, T-2/HT-2, and zearalenone.
Aflatoxin is considered by many to be the most potent, naturally-occurring carcinogen. The toxin is a by-product of mold growth in a range of commodities, including corn.
Neogen Canada
Meanwhile, Neogen has opened a Canadian office which will focus initially on boosting access to GeneSeek’s genomic services.
The firm said there is increasing popularity of the GeneSeek Genomic Profiler and Igenity Profile for Beef and Dairy Cattle.
Dr Stewart Bauck, general manager of Neogen’s GeneSeek operations, said it needed to expand in Canada to provide customers with the same access to genomic services as is available in the US.
“Our new location will provide our Canadian customers the same access to the technology, and also offer all the benefits of dealing directly with a Canadian location — including avoiding the requirements of shipping biological samples internationally, as well as invoicing in Canadian dollars.”
GeneSeek’s Canadian customers can now contact the site in the country on everything GeneSeek related, including shipping of samples, billing and technical support issues.
Neogen Canada offers GeneSeek’s portfolio of services for the agricultural biotechnology industry.
With genetics laboratories and bioinformatics to interpret genetic test results, GeneSeek offers identity and trait determination and analysis.