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ELISA Kits for Food & Feed Safety

Human food and animal feed can potentially be contaminated with undesirable biological substances such as toxins, growth promoters or even non-biological chemicals such as melamine. An ELISA (Enzyme-linked Immunoassay) kit can be used to identify the presence of these substances. Due to the nature of the test, ELISA kits are specialized to one particular contaminant only. ELISA works by mixing a pre-made antibody with the sample. The test gives a specific color change when the contaminant binds with the antibody. Each assay kit has a finite amount of test materials, requires storage at specific temperatures and has an expiry date.

  1. Ochratoxin A Assay

    • Designed for use in cereals, coffee, grains and animal feeds, the Helica MycoMonitor Ochratoxin A Assay will identify the presence of Ochratoxin A in a sample. The toxin is produced by the Aspergillus and Penicillium molds, and can result in kidney disease and kidney cancer in humans. In animals, the toxin can also affect the kidneys, slow growth and reduce egg production.

    Histamine Analysis

    • Histamine is one of the commonest of food poisonings caused by ingesting fish, but the chemical can be found in other foods. The chemical is present in the human body at low levels but a high dose can cause cardiac palpitations, although the illness is usually mild, producing symptoms such as rash, nausea and headache. An ELISA kit such as LC Tech's HistaREAD ELISA Kit can identify histamine in fish, fish meal, cheese, milk and wine.

    Fumonisin ELISA Assay

    • Fumonisin is a toxin produced by the mold Fusarium moniliforme. It is a widespread contaminant of grain and has been shown to cause liver cancer in rats, lung problems in pigs and illness in horses. South Africa and China have high levels of fumonism contamination.

    Aflatoxin Assay

    • Yet another mold-produced contaminant of grain is aflatoxin. This toxin is produced by Aspergillus species and can also affect groundnuts, spices, dried fruit and several species of nut. Produce of Latin America, Asia and Africa are most affected, but the toxin can be found in foods from more temperate countries. Ingestion of aflatoxin can cause liver cancer. ELISA kits may target only specific subgroups of aflatoxin such as Aflatoxin B1.

    Melamine Assay

    • Melamine is used in the production of plastics, but can get into the food chain. One reason for the presence of melamine in feeds or foodstuffs such as milk is deliberate addition by the manufacturers to boost the protein content of the food. Ingesting melamine can potentially cause kidney failure and death. ELISA kit analysis can detect melamine in under an hour.

    Sulfonamide ELISA Assay

    • Sulfonamide is commonly used as a feed additive to promote growth in calves and pigs. The chemical also has veterinary uses. However, the Food and Drug Administration has set a limit on the concentrations of sulfonamide residues in food products. Quantitative (concentration-measuring) ELISA kits such as BIOO Scientific's MaxSignal Sulfonamide ELISA Test Kit are therefore used to check food is within the legal limits.

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