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Food Safety and Inspection
Service United States Department of Agriculture Washington, D.C. 20250-3700 |
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Food Safety and Inspection
Service United States Department of Agriculture Washington, D.C. 20250-3700 |
Congressional and Public Affairs
(202) 720-9113; FAX: (202) 690-0460
Katrine Pritchard
WASHINGTON, April 30, 2002—The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service today announced that it is adopting the BAX® system to screen meat and poultry samples for Listeria monocytogenes. The BAX® system reduces the reporting time for a negative Listeria monocytogenes test by one day and reduces false positive results.
After an evaluation, FSIS determined that the BAX® system was as sensitive as the current method in detecting Listeria monocytogenes. With BAX®, fewer samples were falsely screened as positive. Data also showed that the system reduced the reporting time for negative samples by one day when compared to the current method.
“This is a good example of how FSIS is using new technology to improve efficiency,” said Bill Hudnall, acting FSIS administrator. “FSIS can reduce the time that it takes to notify meat and poultry producers of a negative result, and fewer false positives will help to reduce agency resources used to confirm positive screen tests.”
The BAX® system was evaluated at the FSIS Microbial Outbreaks and Special Projects Branch (MOSPB) laboratory in Athens, Ga., to determine whether it would be beneficial to the agency. Testing methods used by FSIS laboratories undergo rigorous evaluations to determine their validity and reliability.
After the MOSPB evaluation, the Eastern field service laboratory in Athens, Ga., screened approximately 830 random samples for Listeria monocytogenes using both the BAX® and the Fraser broth method. Each sample was put through the Fraser broth screening analysis, and a portion of the enrichment broth was used to conduct the BAX® test. The official confirmation analysis method was used to confirm the results of both types of screen tests.
FSIS will implement the BAX® system to screen meat and poultry samples for Listeria monocytogenes in the agency’s three field service laboratories, located in Athens, Ga., St. Louis, Mo. and Alameda, Calif., and in the MOSPB laboratory.
FSIS is planning to evaluate the BAX® system to screen samples for E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella in the next few months.
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NOTE: Access news releases and other information at the FSIS web site at www.fsis.usda.gov
For Further Information, Contact:
FSIS Congressional and Public Affairs Staff
Phone: (202) 720-9113
Fax: (202) 690-0460