Oxoid Alliance Allows European Food Manufacturers to Test Raw Materials, Finished Product and the Processing Environment for Food Allergens

Oxoid, a world leading microbiology brand, has announced that the ELISA Systems range of quick and easy-to-use food allergen tests kits is now available alongside the Oxoid range.

The world leading ELISA Systems food allergen test kits are now available alongside the Oxoid range

The amount of allergenic material required to cause a reaction in a sensitive individual can be very small. For example, 0.5ml of milk or 1mg of peanut is could be sufficient. The only way for a susceptible person to be sure of avoiding an allergic reaction is to completely eliminate the causative agent from their diet. In other words, they must avoid all food that contains even a trace.

Foods with the potential to cause an allergic reaction are often those commonly used by food manufacturers, for example, a survey reported that milk is used by 88% of all manufacturers surveyed; soy by 84%; wheat by 78%; eggs by 72%; and peanuts by 55%1. As a result, it is increasingly important to test food products and ingredients for allergens, as part of an allergen HACCP plan, to ensure that products have not been contaminated via raw materials, production lines or the environment in general.

Raw materials, finished products and environmental swabs can all be tested using the ELISA Systems tests. Products in the range include tests for almond, buckwheat, crustaceans, egg, gliadin (or gluten, the protein found in wheat), hazelnut, milk (separate tests for casein and beta-lactoglobulin), mustard, peanut, sesame and soy.

One advantageous feature of these products is the simple extraction process, which minimises the sample preparation time and is common across the range. All critical test reagents are in a ready to use liquid format, and presented in colour coded bottles, again making the tests quicker and easier to use.

“The ELISA Systems range of food allergen test kits is the most extensive on the market and ELISA Systems, who are based in Brisbane, Australia, is a world leader in assays for detection of food allergens, having specialised in the field since 1999. “We are delighted to offer these products to our customers”, said Cheryl Mooney, Industrial Applications Manager, Oxoid. “In the light of the recently amended legislation and labelling laws2,3, a company’s knowledge of the allergenic status of their products has taken on a new importance”, she continued. “It is only by testing that companies can be sure they comply with the legislation, as well as fulfilling their duty of care. It prevents costly recall of products, protects the name and reputation of the brand and, ultimately, could save lives.”

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