E. coli O157: bioMérieux offers food processing industries fast, reliable detection, using VIDAS® ECO and VIDAS ICE tests

E.coli O157 represents a major risk for consumers. It is the main cause of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) that leads to acute renal failure in children. The incidence rate of HUS is around 1 case per 100 000 children under 15.

Implicated in the contamination of foodstuffs as diverse as minced meat, vegetables, fruit juice and ready-cooked meals, since 1998 E.coli O157 can be detected with a simple, safe and quick test.

In 1998, bioMérieux, in collaboration with the national Lyon veterinary school, developed tests enabling the detection (VIDAS ECO) and confirmation (VIDAS ICE and chromogen medium O157 :H7 ID) of this pathogen. The method is based on the VIDAS (or miniVIDAS®) technology.

In 2000, VIDAS ECO and VIDAS ICE tests were validated by AFNOR certification, thus proving their performance levels in the identification of E.coli O157. This validation was renewed in September 2004.

Today, VIDAS tests from bioMérieux are the only tests with such recognition on the market for identifying this pathogen.

In January 2005, in the USA, the VIDAS ECO test was validated by the AOAC for the specific search of E. coli O157 in minced meat.

VIDAS ECO and VIDAS ICE tests complete the range of VIDAS reagents for the food processing industry, enabling reliable, automatic detection of the principle pathogens that must be identified in food.

bioMérieux offers food processing industries a fast, safe solution for the detection of this emerging pathogen.