Comprehensive Solution Rapidly Detects and Enumerates Campylobacter in Foods

bioMérieux, a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, have announced AOAC Research institute Performance Tested MethodSM (PTM) approvals for the automated VIDAS® Campylobacter (CAM) detection assay and the Campy Food Agar (CFA) enumeration and detection methods.

Campylobacter is one of the most common causes of diarrhoeal illness in the United States. Active surveillance through FoodNet indicates that about 13 cases are diagnosed each year for each 100,000 persons in the population. Campylobacteriosis is estimated to affect over 2.4 million persons every year, or 0.8% of the population. Most cases of campylobacteriosis are associated with eating raw or undercooked poultry meat or from cross-contamination of other foods by these items in addition to unpasteurised milk or contaminated water.

The VIDAS® CAM (PTM # 051201) and CFA (PTM # 071201) methods have been validated and certified as effective methods for the detection of chicken carcass rinsate and turkey carcass sampled sponges when compared to USDA/FSIS MLG 41.00 reference method; and as effective detection methods for fresh pork, raw chicken breast and processed chicken nuggets when compared to ISO 10272-1 and 2:2006 reference methods. CFA was also approved for the enumeration of carcass rinsate, turkey carcass sampled sponges, raw pork, raw chicken breast and processed chicken nuggets when compared to the USDA/FSIS MLG 41.00 reference method and ISO 10272-1 and 2:2006 reference methods, respectively.

“Food laboratories today are striving to improve productivity and shorten their time-to-results, ” said Jean-Marc Durano, Corporate Vice President, Industrial Microbiology Unit. “ Providing a fully integrated and AOAC validated solution for Campylobacter is a significant milestone in minimising foodborne pathogens in the meat and prepared foods industry.