Current food pathogen detection relies on taking samples at the food processing plant and shipping them to a Food Contract Lab (FCLs) where highly skilled scientists place the samples in a rich broth to allow any existing pathogens to increase in number. After 24–48+ hours of growth, the samples are analyzed using molecular methods, and results are returned 24 – 48 hrs after they were collected. This time delay has a significant impact on quality and product delivery.
LexaGene’s fast on-site processing will empower food processors to clear their food products for direct delivery to the consumer rather than shipping their products to a storage center where they must wait days until negative results clear the products for shipment to consumers.
LexaGene’s on-site rapid analysis would assist with:
- Clearing product for direct delivery to stores rather than first sending product to a storage facility to await culture-based methods to clear the product for delivery
- Eliminating the need to pay storage costs for goods while awaiting results
- Eliminating revenue loss from shorter shelf life of food products
- Reducing overall cost and time of getting food products to market
- Providing a quantitative measurement of contamination rather than qualitative measurement
- Continually monitor the level of indicator species to verify effectiveness of cleaning processes