Neogen issued patent for its water-based toxin extraction materials

LANSING, Mich., Aug. 19, 2020 — Neogen Corporation (NASDAQ: NEOG) announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued Neogen a patent (US 10,598,661) covering materials that increase the water-based binding and extraction of toxins from grains and other foods.

The efficient extraction of toxins from grains and other foods is a critical component of the accurate testing of food and animal feed products for the presence of the toxins, which include aflatoxin and deoxynivalenol (DON). Prior to the development of water-based extraction materials, testers used hazardous materials, such as methanol, to extract toxins.

“The patented formulations allow for simple water-based extraction of multiple mycotoxins, and ergot alkaloids, and can be used along with Neogen’s testing products to quickly and accurately measure toxins in grains and other food ingredients,” said Ronald Sarver, Neogen’s research director for its biochemistry group. “As they are cyclical sugars, the cyclodextrin-based extractants and binding agents are environmentally friendly and non-toxic. The ability of the molecules described in the patent to extract and bind a wide variety of toxins from grains and food ingredients allows for many other potential uses of these formulations.”

Neogen’s patented water-based binding and extraction materials are used in its Reveal® Q+ MAX tests for mycotoxins, which are screening and quantitative test strips, and Veratox® MAX tests, which use a quantitative microwell format for the efficient and precise testing of a large number of samples.

Neogen Corporation develops and markets products dedicated to food and animal safety. The company’s Food Safety Division markets dehydrated culture media, and diagnostic test kits to detect foodborne bacteria, natural toxins, food allergens, drug residues, plant diseases and sanitation concerns. Neogen’s Animal Safety Division is a leader in the development of animal genomics along with the manufacturing and distribution of a variety of animal healthcare products, including diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, veterinary instruments, wound care and disinfectants.