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Company Develops Faster E. coli Test

May 1, 2001

A Maryland-based company has developed a new E.coli detection test that is 100 times more sensitive than traditional "dipstick" tests.

In a study conducted by USDA, IGEN International Inc.'s proprietary ORIGEN technology was much faster and was also almost twice as likely to detect E. coli O157 when the bacteria were present in ground beef at a very low level.

In the current Journal of Rapid Methods and Automation in Microbiology, the USDA researchers reported that their study "demonstrated conclusively" that IGEN's technology is "more sensitive and reliable" than the dipstick test.

British scientists find similar results

Other independent research supports these results. Researchers at Norpath Laboratories Ltd., a food safety testing company in the United Kingdom, compared results obtained using IGEN's PATHIGEN E. coli O157 test to those from four commonly-used screening tests, including two types of dipsticks and two kinds of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Norpath Laboratories found IGEN's test was up to 100 times more sensitive than the other four methods.

Zero-tolerance

These two studies are important, because scientists believe even low levels of E. coli O157:H7 in food can pose serious human health risks, and food processors have set a goal of zero-tolerance for this bacterium.

"An effective zero-tolerance policy requires a test with a high level of sensitivity," said Richard J. Massey, IGEN's president and chief operating officer. "We believe the results obtained by the USDA and Norpath make a strong case for using IGEN's PATHIGEN E. coli O157 test."

The IGEN test also features computerized output for quick data archiving. The cost of the test is comparable to that of dipstick and ELISA tests.