Neogen expands seafood safety test range
Neogen Europe says it has added to its range of tests for the seafood industry with the introduction of a rapid test to detect the okadaic acid group of toxins – which can occur naturally in shellfish but have been shown to cause diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) in humans.
Neogen’s new Reveal for DSP is a highly sensitive dipstick test designed for the qualitative screening of shellfish for okadaic acid, with the visual cut-off value for a positive result set at 160ppb, says the firm.
“This is a simple test for okadaic acid, and one which will benefit the seafood the industry as it faces increased scrutiny for the safety and quality of its products,” says Neogen Europe’s Steve Chambers. “DSP is a gastrointestinal illness that has been reported worldwide since the 1960s, and can be caused by the consumption of shellfish contaminated with okadic acid and its derivatives. The antibody used in Reveal for DSP has a very favourable cross-reactivity profile that can also detect other key derivatives, which are known as DTXs.”