Neogen’s receives first AOAC-OM status for 375 g E. coli test samples

LANSING, Mich., March 26, 2009 — Neogen announced that its E. coli O157:H7 tests have received the first Official Method status conferred from the Association of Official Analytical Chemists International (AOAC) for the use of 375 gram beef samples with rapid tests for the foodborne pathogen.

This Official Method (OM) status is for the use of 375 gram raw ground beef and raw beef cube samples with both Neogen’s 8- and 20-hour versions of the Reveal® for E. coli O157:H7 test kit. The test kits each received an original AOAC-OM status in 2000 for the use of the tests with 25 gram beef samples.

“Each time we receive a validation from an influential third party on modifications of any of our tests, it provides further assurance to our many customers that our tests perform as expected. We expect no less, and neither should our customers,” said Neogen’s Michael Wendorf. “This new modification of our venerable line of Reveal tests demonstrates Neogen’s continuous commitment to providing relevant testing solutions to the food industry. The beef industry has seen a recent trend for larger sample sizes to more accurately detect the presence of E. coli O157:H7. This recent recognition places Neogen first in the marketplace to respond with an AOAC-OM status for the larger 375 gram sample analysis.”

The AOAC-OM status approval for the modifications was based on a study comparing the performance of Reveal 8-hour and 20-hour test systems against a reference method for testing 375 gram beef samples.

Results obtained using the 8-hour media were enriched for 12 hours prior to endpoint analysis on Reveal. The additional four hours of incubation facilitates the growth of one CFU to the detectable level of ~104 CFU/mL in the 3.375 liters of media required to enrich the 375 gram samples.

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.