Neogen develops quicker Soleris test for yeast and mold

LANSING, Mich., Nov. 1, 2011 — Neogen Corporation has developed an even quicker method to accurately detect yeast and mold in food products.

Neogen’s new Soleris® test (DYM-109) detects yeast and mold in 48 hours or less — conventional methods take up to 5 days. The Soleris system is a rapid optical method for the detection of microbial contamination based on an innovative application of classic microbiology.

“Our new Soleris product for yeast and mold improves upon our market-best test to ensure the quality and shelf life of a wide variety of food products,” said Ed Bradley, Neogen’s vice president for Food Safety. “The Soleris yeast and mold test is the best choice to quickly identify spoilage organisms in foods like yogurt, or other similar products that may contain yeasts or molds.”

The new test is a Soleris direct vial system that can detect one colony forming unit (CFU) of yeast or mold per vial in 48 hours or less — 24 hours faster than the previous rapid yeast and mold assay. In the direct vial system, any microorganisms present in a food sample grow in the Soleris medium. The Soleris system takes a reading every 6 minutes to provide easy-to-interpret, real-time results that indicate the presence or absence of yeast or mold in the food sample. The direct vial system offers less set-up and touch time, and faster results.

The Soleris system enables operators to release products quicker, saving the organization inventory costs. Soleris also enables operators to easily identify, monitor, and map problematic spots in their facilities. The Soleris system features the quickest automated quality indicator system protocols. In addition to the yeast and mold test, Soleris tests provide:

• Total viable count (TVC) results in as little as 6-8 hours; conventional methods take 24-48 hours
• Coliform results in 9-10 hours; conventional methods take 24 hours
• E. coli results in 7-10 hours; conventional methods take 24 hours or longer
• Lactic bacteria results in 30-35 hours; conventional methods take 3-5 days

Neogen Corporation (Nasdaq: NEOG) develops and markets products dedicated to food and animal safety. The company’s Food Safety Division markets diagnostic test kits to detect foodborne bacteria, natural toxins, genetic modifications, food allergens, drug residues, plant diseases, and sanitation concerns, and dehydrated culture media.