Neogen launches coconut food allergen test kits

News provided by

Mar 25, 2019, 08:45 ET

LANSING, Mich., March 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Neogen's comprehensive line of tests to detect allergens in food products before they can reach consumers now includes simple and accurate tests for coconut in food, beverages and environmental samples.

Neogen's new Reveal^® 3-D for Coconut Allergen screens environmental and liquid samples at 1 part per million (ppm) in only 5 minutes. The new Veratox^® for Coconut Allergen provides precise results in the range of 1 to 25 ppm for testing food and beverage samples.

"The addition of our tests for coconut adds to Neogen's leadership role in providing food allergen testing solutions," said John Adent, Neogen's president and chief executive officer. "Ever since we developed the first commercially available rapid test for a food allergen, now 20 years ago, we have provided our testing customers with their best options to protect their food allergic consumers. These new tests will enable our customers to use the same easy-to-use testing methodology to test for the allergens of most concern to the food industry."

Neogen also offers screening and quantitative food allergen test kits for foods identified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as being of the most concern, including tests to detect tree nuts (e.g., almond, hazelnut, pecan, walnut, cashew and pistachio), eggs, wheat/gluten, milk, peanuts, soy and crustacea (e.g., crab, lobster and shrimp), and several others.

Neogen's Reveal 3-D format features three test lines, including an overload detection system designed to ensure highly positive samples are accurately reported. The test screens at 1 ppm coconut protein in environmental samples, clean-in-place (CIP) rinses, ultra-high temperature (UHT) processed beverages, and other beverages (e.g., coconut water, sports drinks, milk and enhancers).

The Veratox test is a sandwich enzyme-linked immunoassay (S-ELISA) that requires minimal training and standard laboratory equipment to produce quantitative results in only 30 minutes following extraction. The test provides a method of easily determining if an ingredient or product has been subject to cross-contact with coconut.

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. Neogen's Animal Safety Division is a leader in worldwide biosecurity products, animal genomics testing and the manufacturing and distribution of a variety of animal healthcare products, including diagnostics, pharmaceuticals and veterinary instruments.