The CDx Xpress System was certified for the six non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (serogroups O26, O45, O1O3, O111, O121, and O145; referred to as STEC or the “Big-6”).
It was also backed for E. coli O157, at 1 colony forming unit (cfu) per 325g of raw ground beef and raw beef trim, or 200g of raw spinach.
The system combines liquid crystal technology with antibody-coated paramagnetic microspheres to capture and detect STEC from food matrixes.
Crystal Diagnostics said it becomes one of only seven companies to gain the AOAC accreditation.
Dr Gary Acuff, director of the Texas A&M Center for Food Safety, said as regulatory agencies tighten food safety requirements, it is likely that more pathogen testing will be used to verify process control.
The firm is developing protocols and kits for the detection of Listeria, Salmonella spp. and strain-specific Salmonella.
It expects an AOAC certified 12-hour Salmonella test by midyear, followed by Listeria.
“Our goal for the past eight years has been to develop a novel technology which is much faster and more accurate than traditional rapid detection systems,” said Jim Bruce, president and CEO of Crystal Diagnostics
Crystal Diagnostics is the exclusive licensee of liquid crystal technologies developed by Kent State University and Northeast Ohio Medical University.