The Thermo Scientific Listeria Rapid Test (OLRT) has been successfully revalidated by the internationally recognised French accreditation body, AFNOR.

Providing a negative result 3-5 days earlier, and a confirmed positive result up to a day earlier than the reference culture method (NF EN ISO 11290-1), OLRT saves valuable time in the detection of Listeria in food products and is being used successfully in food laboratories around the world.

OLRT is an excellent example of how the proven accuracy and reliability of traditional culture methods can be effectively combined with appropriate new technologies to enhance speed and convenience in the laboratory. The culture phase of OLRT involves two carefully optimised enrichment steps (in
Half Fraser Broth and BLEB) that provide maximum flexibility throughout the normal working day. Once the enrichment phase is completed, a heat-treated sample is added to the rapid endpoint test. Based on patented immunological technology, this test is extremely simple to use and interpret, providing clearly visible results within 20 minutes.

No matter what time of day the procedure is set up, results are available early on the third day - as little as 43 hours from sample receipt - allowing negative samples to be eliminated at the earliest opportunity.

In this latest evaluation by AFNOR, OLRT demonstrated 97.5% accuracy and 100% reliability when compared to the reference culture method. It was reported that this test could save time, particularly if the majority of samples are negative.

OLRT can be used to test a wide range of foods, including meat, seafood, vegetables and dairy products, for the presence of Listeria. The speed and convenience of this method also facilitates the regular checking of hygiene procedures at every stage of the food production environment. The rapid
elimination of negative samples provides valuable peace-of-mind for food manufacturers and allows perishable products to be released more quickly.