Neogen Corporation has developed an improved, quick and easy new line of mycotoxin tests that uses water as the solvent in the extraction process. The new mycotoxin tests will all use a common water-based extraction — and will enable testers to test for up to six mycotoxins from the same prepared sample.

Reveal® Q+ MAX for Aflatoxin is the first test in the line that is available, and it can deliver precise results ranging from 2 to 300 parts per billion (ppb) of aflatoxin after only six minutes. The test detects the four principle types of aflatoxin, B₁, B₂, G₁ and G₂, with superior cross-reactivity when compared to other available aflatoxin tests.

“Reveal Q+ MAX for Aflatoxin is the easiest test available for rapid, fully quantitative test results, and uses a water-based extraction,” said Ed Bradley, Neogen’s vice president for Food Safety. “This innovative technology yields more accurate and reproducible results than competitive tests on the market. Coupled with AccuScan readers, the Reveal Q+ MAX system objectively reads, analyzes and stores test results.

“Our test for aflatoxin is the first in our new line of fully quantitative lateral flow tests for mycotoxins that replace ethanol with a common water-based extraction — without compromising accuracy,” Bradley continued. “Tests for DON, ochratoxin and zearalenone are in the final stages of development. The ability to test the same sample for up to six mycotoxins represents a potentially significant cost and time savings for grain testers. Until now, testers had no choice but to prepare separate samples for each mycotoxin to be tested for — by far the largest time-consuming element of the entire testing process. Our Reveal Q+ MAX products will eliminate the need for that duplication.”

Neogen offers the most comprehensive range of food safety diagnostic test products for foodborne bacteria, mycotoxins, drugs, allergens, and other concerns. Its full line of mycotoxin test kits detect aflatoxin, aflatoxin M₁, deoxynivalenol (DON), fumonisin, ochratoxin, T-2/HT-2, and zearalenone.

Because aflatoxin is a known severe threat to human and animal health, more than 100 countries have established regulatory limits for it in commodities intended as human food or animal feed. The toxin is a by-product of mold growth in a wide range of commodities, including corn.