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Crystal Diagnostics Awarded AOAC-PTM Accreditation for the Rapid Detection of “Big 6” E.coli Food Pathogens

Crystal Diagnostics (CDx) Xpress System, a rapid and sensitive detection platform, announced today that it has received AOAC-PTM Certifications for the six non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (serogroups O26, O45, O1O3, O111, O121, and O145; collectively referred to as STEC or the “Big-6”) as well as Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157, at 1 colony forming unit (cfu) per 325 g of raw ground beef and raw beef trim, or 200 g of raw spinach.

The CDx Xpress System combines proprietary liquid crystal technology with antibody-coated paramagnetic microspheres to selectively capture and detect STEC from food matrixes, faster than other commercial systems.

The USDA requires all federally inspected beef processors to test for these potentially deadly pathogens and Crystal Diagnostics becomes one of only seven companies to gain AOAC accreditation.

Dr. Gary Acuff, Director of the Texas A&M Center for Food Safety, stated “As regulatory agencies continue to tighten food safety requirements, it is likely that more and more pathogen testing will be utilized to verify process control. CDx has developed a unique detection system which is highly accurate, reliable, and takes about half the time required by the FDA reference method. This STEC test will be a welcomed addition to many food safety programs.”

According to CDx President and CEO, Jim Bruce, “Our goal for the past eight years has been to develop a novel technology which is much faster and more accurate than traditional rapid detection systems. These recent AOAC accreditations of our system confirm that we have done just that.”
CDx is currently developing additional protocols and kits for the detection of Listeria, Salmonella spp. and strain-specific Salmonella. The Company expects an AOAC certified Salmonella test by midyear, with Listeria shortly thereafter.

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