DuPont Nutrition & Health BAX® System Included in AOAC Emergency Response Validation Program

The BAX® system from DuPont Nutrition & Health has been included in the newly launched Emergency Response Validation (ERV) program of the AOAC Research Institute, a subsidiary of AOAC International. This new program is designed to respond immediately to emerging food contamination crises, such as the U.S. outbreak of Salmonella in peanut butter products, by rapidly evaluating detection methods as trustworthy tools for investigators, food regulators and the industry.

The BAX® system PCR assay for Salmonella detection was certified by AOAC RI in 2002 as effective in many food types, including peanut butter. The new ERV program evaluates a set of previously certified methods to determine their ability to detect the specific contaminant and food type associated with the emerging outbreak. Blind coded samples are prepared by an independent laboratory and the candidate methods are tested. Results are then analyzed and compared to established reference methods to determine efficacy, and AOAC RI publishes the list of successful methods on their website. The program is currently evaluating methods for detecting Salmonella in peanut butter products and expects to post the list of validated test methods in late March.

Food processing companies around the world rely on the BAX® system to detect pathogens or other organisms in raw ingredients, finished products and environmental samples. The automated system uses leading-edge technology, including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays, tableted reagents and optimized media to also detect Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7, Enterobacter sakazakii, Campylobacter, Staphylococcus aureus, yeast and mold. With certifications and regulatory approvals in the Americas, Asia and Europe, the BAX® system is recognized globally as the most advanced pathogen testing system available to food companies.