29th University of Wisconsin – River Falls Symposium

Current Concepts In Foodborne Pathogens and Rapid and Automated Methods in Food Microbiology, October 18-21, 2009

Idaho Technology was proud to participate in this year’s University of Wisconsin River Falls Symposium where speakers from academia, industry and regulatory agencies provided an overview and update on the pathogens, toxins, and contaminants that occur in food, water, and the environment.

The emphasis of the workshop was on the practical applications to solve food microbiological safety and quality problems. In addition, technical representatives from selected companies, such as Idaho Technology, involved in developing and marketing instruments and assays for microbiological analysis of food participated in the program by presenting and demonstrating the latest technologies in food safety.

Topics ranged from approaches to food allergens to consumer attitudes toward food, nutrition, and health and of course food safety trends and risk management. Our own Adam Greer attended and presented on our R.A.P.I.D. ® LT Food Security System and its sensitivity, accuracy and high speed. To learn more about the R.A.P.I.D. LT FSS visit: http://www.idahotech.com/FoodSecurity/index.html.

Food Safety Tip of the Week: Always wash fresh fruits and vegetables under cool running tap water before eating. This removes any lingering dirt while also removing or reducing any bacteria or other substances.

E. coli Happenings

Following a recent story in The New York Times titled “E. coli path shows flaws in beef inspection” there has been a flurry of statements and proposals by various agencies to help the public understand what is being done to ensure the safety of ground beef. This has ranged from the Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, to the president of the American Meat Institute commenting on what both government and private industry are doing to take action. Additionally, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York is planning to introduce the “E.coli eradication act” which is legislation requiring all ground beef facilities to test product regularly both before and after it is ground. To read more about these latest happenings visit http://tinyurl.com/yh3547j and to read the article that started all the recent activity click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/health/04meat.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1

Idaho Technology, Inc. is also committed to helping eradicate foodborne pathogens and recently released our AOAC approved E. coli O157:H7 kit which uses real-time PCR technology to rapidly identify the presence of E. coli O157:H7 in raw ground beef and uncooked spinach in less than an hour after only 8 hours of enrichment. To read more about our food security system please visit: http://www.idahotech.com/FoodSecurity/

Food Safety Tip: Cook or freeze fresh poultry, fish, ground meats, and variety meats within 2 days; other beef, veal, lamb or pork, within 3 to 5 days.

Idaho Technology Inc. Receives AOAC-RI Validation For E.coli O157:H7 Test

On October 6, 2009 ITI was proud to announced that we have been granted Performance Tested Methods Status by the AOAC Research Institute (Certificate No. 100901) for our E.coli O157:H7 test used with the R.A.P.I.D.® LT Food Security System (FSS). The assay uses real-time PCR technology to identify the presence of E.coli O157:H7 in raw ground beef and uncooked spinach food samples.

The system marks a milestone in real-time PCR testing of foodborne pathogens as this platform enables detection of E.coli O157:H7 in less than one hour after only 8 hours of enrichment. The validation studies on ground beef and spinach prove that the R.A.P.I.D. LT FSS performed as well or better than traditional culture methods with faster time to result. The complete system provides the easiest end-to-end protocol for PCR-based detection methods, and the E.coli O157:H7 test joins the Idaho Technology Listeria spp. and Salmonella spp. assays as AOAC-RI approved.

The validation of this rapid screening tool for E.coli is an important development for all food manufacturers since E.coli O157:H7 is a major health problem and is estimated to cause infection in more than 70,000 patients a year in the United States alone. The use of an E.coli O157:H7 screening tool that is both rapid and accurate will permit earlier release of products without fear of potential outbreaks or possible food recalls. The assay is intended for use by trained laboratory personnel.

To read more visit our website at: http://www.idahotech.com/ContactUs/Media.html

Food Safety Tip: Check the temperature of your unit with an appliance thermometer. To slow bacterial growth, the refrigerator should be at 40° F; the freezer, 0° F.