The Veriflow Listeria species assay (Veriflow LS), has been approved to detect bacterial contamination in food types, including ready-to-eat foods, deli meat, and dairy products.
It has also been certified on surfaces with which food is in contact during preparation and packaging.
Vertical flow technology
The patented vertical flow technology allows the sensitivity of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, with the ease of use associated with lateral flow assays, claims the firm.
It eliminates the 10-20 minute “read window” with conventional flow-based assays.
The firm had its Listeria monocytogenes assay certified by the AOAC in June last year.
Listeria species testing accounts for more than 40% of food pathogen testing in the US.
Ben Pascal, co-founder and chief business officer of Invisible Sentinel, said the molecular method is a little different than other technologies in the food safety space.
"Besides ease of use, the accuracy of the the test is unrivaled, with no false positive or false negatives reported in any of our AOAC independent lab evaluations,” he told FoodQualityNews.com.
"Listeria is a major concern and a highly pathogenic organism. It can maintain its viability and grow at cold temperatures which is one reason this test is performed across the food industry."
Pascal said there is no-one else in the market that offers the same platform properties.
"The Listeria species test has been favorably received by our customers for nearly a year, and the AOAC certification provides added confidence to our existing customers and potential clients who require AOAC PTM certification."
Veriflow Campylobacter assay (Veriflow CA) and Veriflow Listeria monocytogenes assay (Veriflow LM) received approvals last year.
Further backing
Invisible Sentinel anticipates AOAC approval of the Veriflow Salmonella species assay (Veriflow SS) shortly and Pascal said there were other areas of interest for the firm.
“Spoilage organisms in food and beverages like wine are an area where few easy-to-use rapid tests exist. Companies who require tests for these quality indicator organisms have found our platform to be a good fit for their needs,” he said.
The AOAC is a global standardization organization that validates analytical test methods for the food industry.
AOAC Performance Tested MethodsSM designation is recognized by the US Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and global regulatory agencies.
Nick Siciliano, co-founder and CEO of Invisible Sentinel, added: “This approval not only broadens our Veriflow portfolio but also enables a far larger segment of the food and beverage industry to benefit from the advantages of our technology.
“The range of species detected by Veriflow LS demonstrates the reach of this technology along with its convenience.”