London, ON – Scientists at Robarts Research Institute have developed new technology that has the potential to drastically improve food safety.
Dr. Michael Rieder and his team have created a new rapid-test system to detect E. coli 0157 – a food-borne bacteria most commonly found in ground meat. The test would allow manufacturers to identify contaminated food quickly before it leaves the processing plant and enters the grocery store. The system was developed as a result of collaborations between Dr. Rieder, associate scientist at Robarts, and London entrepreneurs, Michael Brock and Craig Coombe.
Current conventional testing can take from three to 21 days for definitive results and relies on bacterial culture. By the time the bacteria are identified, the food has been shipped to grocery stores and may have already caused illness. With this current system, two weeks of food may need to be recalled to ensure against cross-contamination.
Dr. Rieder’s rapid-test system would allow food to be sampled at the end of one day, and the results would be available before the food is shipped the next morning. “This means that one day’s production is lost, not five day’s production,” he said. “This has the potential to save companies considerable money, and more importantly could save a lot of people from being exposed to food-borne disease.”
On average, 440 cases of E. coli 0157 infection in humans are reported annually to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
FoodWorld 
When is it possible that this test will be available?