Neogen launches four food safety drug residue tests

LANSING, Mich., March 22, 2016 – Neogen Corporation announced today that it has introduced four new tests for the detection of veterinary drug residues in food. The new tests detect clenbuterol, avermectins, florfenicol, and oxytetracycline.

Each of the new tests are in Neogen’s proven Veratox® brand format, which provides an accurate, rapid, cost-effective and easy-to-use diagnostic method compared to instrument-based tests, including HPLC and mass spectrometry. The Veratox format provides the flexibility of screening samples at a certain threshold, or providing quantitative results.

“The global nature of the food supply chain has created an increasing need for food producers to meet the variety of food safety requirements in the marketplace,” said Ed Bradley, Neogen’s vice president of Food Safety. “The concern for veterinary drug residues continues to grow, as evidence mounts around their negative health effects and the general desire by consumers for residue-free food. We are pleased to now offer these simple and inexpensive testing options for veterinary drug residues in food.”

Neogen’s new tests detect:

• Clenbuterol, which is a growth promotant that is known to cause adverse reactions and death in humans. It is not approved for use in food-producing animals in many countries, including the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
• Avermectins are antiparasitics used world-wide to treat both humans and animals. They are commonly used as broad-spectrum antiparasitic agents against parasites affecting livestock.
• Florfenicol is a broad-spectrum antibiotic with a range of activity similar to that of chloramphenicol, including many Gram-negative and Gram-positive organisms. In the U.S., florfenicol is used in the treatment of multiple diseases in aquaculture, as well as respiratory diseases in cattle and swine.
• Oxytetracycline is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that is in the tetracycline class of antibiotics. It is FDA-approved for use in food producing animals, and is frequently used in animal production for its aggressive antibacterial and pharmacokinetic properties.

Neogen also offers rapid veterinary drug residue tests for beta-lactams, tetracycline, ractopamine, malachite green and chloramphenicol in food products.

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.