Neogen Corporation has received Performance Tested Method^SM Certification from the AOAC Research Institute for its new ANSR™ for Listeria assay, which is designed for rapid and definitive detection of Listeria.

The issuance of this certificate, Number 101202 from the AOAC Research Institute, independently confi rms the performance of the assay as equivalent to that of the FDA or USDA reference methods for Listeria detection in environmental samples. Combined with ANSR's single enrichment step, Neogen's new pathogen detection method can provide definitive results for Listeria in as little as 16 hours from the time the sample is taken. ANSR for Salmonella, which was introduced in April, also recently received performance validation from the AOAC Research Institute. In part, the well-respected independent research organization analyzes the performance claims of various test kit manufacturers.

'The ANSR for Listeria system cuts the wait time for definitive results to as little as 16 hours, with only 18 minutes of reaction time following sample enrichment. Other commercially available molecular amplification tests require up to 3 hours of reaction time,' said Neogen's Ed Bradley. 'We are pleased that the AOAC-approval further validates our test as an invaluable tool to food producers.'

The AOAC approval covers the use of the ANSR system to detect Listeria in environmental matrices such as sponge or swab samples from stainless steel, plastic, ceramic tile, sealed concrete, and rubber environmental surfaces. A similar AOAC approval for the use of the assay to test food samples is pending.

The ANSR system uses an innovative isothermal amplification process to amplify DNA to detectable levels and fluorescent molecular beacon technology for detection of the pathogen target. Unlike PCR-based methods, ANSR requires only a single reaction temperature, which completely eliminates the time-consuming heating and cooling cycles of older methods. The ANSR system's small benchtop footprint, 16 well capacity and extremely simple test procedure make it an easy fit in any laboratory workflow.