Running a microbiological test to detect Listeria present in a plant has always been problematic. If it couldn’t be run in house, it was sent to a lab with results provided days later. If testing equipment was available, experienced operators had to run it, and it still took 24 hours or more to get a result.
A startup company has purchased licensing rights to a new technology and built a system that allows anyone to take samples and run a Listeria test. The company, CERTUS, has constructed a hardware-software system that simplifies testing for Listeria, providing quantitative results in real time. Besides environmental testing, the analyzer will also be able to test for Listeria, Salmonella and E. coli in food samples. Environmental monitoring will be the initial rollout for Listeria and Salmonella, followed by E. coli. Later, plans for food testing will be introduced to the market.