Real-time PCR for food pathogens is now real fast    

The complete system provides the easiest end-to-end PCR protocol and now is the only AOAC-approved post-enrichment pooling protocol.   The R.A.P.I.D.® LT is a real-time PCR instrument from Arrow Scientific capable of analyzing samples for the presence of targeted nucleic acid sequences.   Built upon LifeCycler technology, this instrument combines rapid air thermo-cycling and a real-time fluorimeter to reliably identify key food bacterial pathogens in test samples in as little as 25 minutes, a great improvement considering PCR testing traditionally can take several hours.   Because of its sensitivity, accuracy and high speed, it is the ideal instrument for rapid pathogen identification.   The Food Security kits assay range includes AOAC approved tests for Listeria, Salmonella and E coli O157.   The assays use reduced enrichment times – only 8 to 16 hours followed by PCR - paired with real-time PCR technology to provide rapid and accurate results.   Using a 5:1 sample pooling approach enables the cost per test to approach that of traditional methods. Idaho Technology's 5:1 pooling protocol can reduce PCR assay costs by up to 80%.  

The Food Security System line of reagents are freeze-dried in a single sample, easy-to-use format. This minimizes user errors, saves time, reduces reagent waste, and minimizes cross contamination.  

Each test has internal chemistry controls to ensure reagent quality by incorporating an amplification control into every reaction.   Included with the instrument is a laptop computer pre-loaded with easy-to-use run and analysis software. The software operates the instrument, automatically collects and analyzes data, then reports the results in an easy-to-read and printable format.