Neogen launches Veratox® HS for Ochratoxin

LANSING, Mich., July 9, 2015 — Neogen Corporation announced today that it has developed a new quantitative test for ochratoxin that detects the mycotoxin at the lower levels necessary to meet changing regulatory guidelines. The European Union (EU) limits ochratoxin levels in cereal grains to 3 parts per billion (ppb), and other countries are looking at similar maximum tolerance levels. Neogen’s new Veratox® HS (high sensitivity) for Ochratoxin delivers precise results ranging from 2 to 10 ppb of ochratoxin after only 30 minutes. The Veratox kit can be used to test up to 38 samples, and the new test joins a comprehensive line of screening and quantitative mycotoxin test kits.

“The development of this new test for ochratoxin was in direct response to customer feedback to modify our existing test to accommodate the changing marketplace needs,” said Ed Bradley, Neogen’s vice president of Food Safety. “Since we first developed rapid mycotoxin tests more than 30 years ago, our tests have constantly evolved to improve their speed, accuracy and ease of use. Veratox HS for Ochratoxin is yet another example of that evolution.”

Veratox HS for Ochratoxin is intended for the quantitative analysis of ochratoxin in corn and wheat. The test is a competitive direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (CD-ELISA) that allows the user to obtain exact concentrations in ppb.

Ochratoxin is commonly produced by the molds Aspergillus ochraceus and Penicillium viridicatum, and may be present in conjunction with aflatoxin, one of the most potent naturally-occurring carcinogens. Ochratoxin affects kidneys in animals exposed to naturally-occurring levels of this mycotoxin. Turkeys and other poultry exhibited lower productivity levels during field outbreaks of ochratoxicosis. Symptoms included slowed growth and decreased feed conversion. It has also been known to affect egg production in laying hens.

Neogen Corporation (NASDAQ: NEOG) 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.