Veredus Laboratories has announced the successful development of the VereBeef™ Detection Kit for qualitative detection of multiple pathogens in raw beef trim. The kit carries the allimportant certification by the AOAC Research Institute, a wholly owned subsidiary of AOAC INTERNATIONAL.

VereBeef Detection Kit used in conjunction with the VerePLEX™ Biosystem is best described as an integration of both multiplex PCR and microarray on a Lab-on-Chip platform (VereChip™). It was specifically developed for the qualitative detection and differentiation of Escherichia coli O157:H7, E. coli O26, E. coli O45, E. coli O103, E. coli O111, E. coli O121, E. coli O145, STEC virulence factors (stx1A, stx2A, eae), and Salmonella spp. in a single test using raw beef trim samples.

The effectiveness of the kit lies in its ability to detect multiple pathogens in raw beef trim with a minimum enrichment time of 8 hours for E. coli O157:H7 detection, and 10 hours for Salmonella and non-O157 STEC detection, respectively. What this translates to is a total turnaround time from sample to the answer in the range of 11 to 13 hours for multi-pathogen screening. This is a marked improvement when compared to similar products in the food safety industry where the expected turnaround times range between 15 and 24 hours for the detection of a single pathogen.

Veredus Laboratories worked in collaboration with the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA), the national authority entrusted with the mission to ensure a resilient supply of safe food, to create this detection kit which enables faster decisions to be made without compromising the sensitivity and specificity of the assay. The user-friendly kit offers ease of use in performing the process, from sample to result. “The need to detect multiple pathogens with a shorter turnaround time, is one of many food safety challenges in our evolving global food landscape. AVA is happy to collaborate with industry partners like Veredus Laboratories to co-create solutions such as the VereBeef Detection Kit to combat such challenges effectively,” said Dr Paul Chiew, AVA’s Programme Chief (Food Safety).

The AOAC PTM independent validation study was carried out by independent, certified laboratory, Q Laboratories, Inc. The VereBeef Detection Kit underwent extensive validation tests which included inclusivity-exclusivity, method comparison, robustness, lotto-lot variability, and stability study. The inclusivity-exclusivity study underscored that VereBeef Detection Kit’s specifically detects and identifies different target strains when challenged in a blind randomized study with other organisms. VereBeef Detection Kit performance was compared to USDA/FSIS MLG methods for target organism detection in raw beef trim using (a) E. coli O157:H7 single inoculation and (b) Salmonella and non O157 STEC dual-inoculation.