Biosense develops new shellfish toxin tester
for shellfish that can help processors check that their food
products confirm to the EU's safety standards.
EU regulations require shellfish harvesters and processors to analyse their products for toxins. Marine biotoxins such as diarrheic, paralytic and amnesic shellfish poisoning (DSP, PSP, ASP) canlead to severe illness and death. The main tools for DSP and PSP toxin monitoring have been bioassays, which can give inaccurate results. For ASP, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is used with UV-detection for ASPmonitoring and, although accurate, is costly, requires high maintenance and skilled operators, according to Scotland's FRS Marine Laboratory. Biosense Laboratories says its Elisa method allows multiple samples to be analysed in parallel, giving results from a simple shellfish extract in less than two hours. Anders Goksøyr, the company's research and development director and a professor of molecular biology at the University of Bergen, says the product has been introduced to the market in apre-release format using strips for easier use with small sample volumes. "The method has been through a full interlaboratory validation with about 16 laboratories from ten different countries world-wide, all reporting data that fully support itsrobustness," he told FoodProductionDaily.com. The ASP version of the test replaces the HPLC method. The company also also developed an Elisa testing kit for detecting yessotoxins in shellfish. Testing for DSP and PSP are in pipeline, Goksøyrsaid. The company also provides software to handle data and calculate sample concentrations. The company is in the process of obtaining accreditation in the EU for its method. Final accreditation of the product is being sought under the AOAC International's testing programme. External links to companies or organisations mentioned in this story: Biosense Laboratories
