“To ensure supply chain safety, the industry is increasingly adopting sensitive, efficient detection methods that allow processors to monitor for the presence of mycotoxins at harvest, during storage, and before shipment or processing. PerkinElmer brings accuracy and ease of use to the forefront of mycotoxin testing with the AuroFlow AQ Mycotoxin Platform and new MaxSignals HTS Total Aflatoxins and DONA ELISA Kits,” Shadow notes.
The AuroFlow AQ Mycotoxin Alfa test strips allow farmers, grain silo workers and lab professionals to cover all six of the most commonly regulated mycotoxins in grains, he says.
“Through a single-step, water-based sample extraction, this quantitative solution is not only easy to use but is also more environmentally sustainable than traditional methods. When used in conjunction with PerkinElmer’s QuickSTAR Horizon portable strip reader, mycotoxins are detected in levels as low as 2 ppb in under 6 minutes making this analytical solution as rapid as it is robust. This USDA/FGIS approved solution also offers flexibility to be used on-site by farmers or by laboratory professionals due to its portability and user-friendly interface.”
Designed for complex matrices such as finished feed and grains, PerkinElmer’s MaxSignal HTS Total Aflatoxins and DON ELISA Kits provides an automated and easy-to-use mycotoxin testing workflow, Shadow adds.
“This solution allows lab teams to process up to 180 samples in 180 minutes. The new MaxSignal HTS offering has been developed to ‘set it and forget it,’ minimizing the need for manual intervention, reducing the risk of manual error and helping the customer meet their regulatory standards.”
Regulatory concerns
Earl Arnold, manager, food defense/FSMA, operations, quality assurance, Americas, AIB International, Manhattan, KS, says that the number one food safety priority should be allergens, as it is the number one reason for recalls in the U.S. “It is critical that manufacturers clearly define and follow label reviews, ensuring the right product goes into the right package and the label declares the correct allergens of the product. Additionally, if a facility has unique allergens, or those not common in all products and produced on shared equipment, then detailed change over cleaning is necessary to minimize allergen cross-contact,” he says.
“Additionally, the number one reason for FDA issuing 483s in 2019 and 2020 is not having a Foreign Supplier Verification Program, as required,” says Arnold. “Unfortunately, we are currently on track to repeat this in 2021. FDA sees education as the main gap for not understanding or capturing this requirement.”