SafeTraces saniDART™ (Rapid Sanitation Verification Solution) Receives AOAC Approval

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Apr 02, 2020, 09:55 ET

PLEASANTON, Calif., April 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SafeTraces, Inc. announced today that it has received approval from the AOAC Research Institute (AOAC-RI) for its groundbreaking rapid sanitation verification solution, saniDART™.

SafeTraces' saniDART™ is the first rapid solution for verifying sanitation effectiveness at a microbial level to receive AOAC certification. saniDART addresses major shortcomings of two commonly used methods for verifying sanitation effectiveness in food production, the Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) test and the Aerobic Plate Count (APC) test. The ATP test measures the effectiveness of the sanitation processes in removing organic matter but is not a reliable indicator of bacterial inactivation. Meanwhile, the APC test is a reliable indicator for bacterial inactivation, however the 48-hour wait period for results precludes making in-process corrective actions. saniDART is a powerful tool for monitoring bacterial inactivation with APC-like test quality and results available at a speed closer to that of ATP tests.

"Now more than ever, consumers and regulators are demanding high standards and visibility into food safety practices throughout the supply chain," said Erik Malmstrom, SafeTraces Chief Executive Officer. "There is a significant unmet need in the food industry for a better, faster, and cheaper solution for sanitation verification at a microbial level. SafeTraces responded and innovated, which is what we do best. Receiving AOAC validation, the gold standard for proprietary testing methods in food safety, is a major milestone for saniDART™. We look forward to delivering this groundbreaking solution to the food industry in a big way."

Results in the AOAC validation report (Performance Tested Method #032001) provided evidence that saniDART is effective at detecting the presence of saniTracers™, proprietary abiotic bacterial surrogates and a key component of saniDART, on stainless steel surfaces representative in food processing and manufacturing facilities. saniTracers are manufactured by encapsulating short, non-coding DNA sequences within food-grade material particles and are applied on food contact surfaces in processing facilities, including Zone 1. saniTracers are degraded and removed in a similar manner as microbes during cleaning and chlorine-based sanitizing. saniTracers levels can be quantified by a simple swabbing and on-site qPCR test that provides results in 25 minutes. By measuring saniTracers levels before and after sanitation, saniDART provides powerful, actionable information in a pass/caution/fail format for verifying sanitation effectiveness.

The saniDART rapid sanitation verification solution includes saniTracers consumables, test kits, an off-the shelf qPCR reader, and a tablet with a cutting-edge augmented reality (AR) feature to identify sampling points in food processing facilities. saniDART is supported by market-leading environmental monitoring software to manage floor plans, scheduling, corrective actions, reporting, and analytics.

AOAC International (formerly the Association of Analytical Chemists) is an independent, third-party, not-for-profit organization that develops standards on measuring and determining the safety and integrity of food and other products worldwide. An AOAC-Research Institute (AOAC-RI) validation means that the manufacturer's claims have been verified by a trusted third-party laboratory.

Founded in 2013, SafeTraces is a mission-driven team of entrepreneurs, scientists, engineers, and food safety practitioners dedicated to using nature's DNA to make food production safer, more transparent, and more sustainable. Our rapid, easy-to-use, and cost-effective testing solutions for sanitation verification and traceability build on groundbreaking and patented DNA-based technology. We developed the first and only on-food traceability solution, the miniDART, which leverages natural, edible, invisible, DNA-based barcodes (FDA-GRAS) that are applied directly to the product and that downstream purchasers can read with a rapid, inexpensive test in order to verify product source, authenticity, and purity in minutes. Additionally, we developed the first rapid solution for verifying sanitation effectiveness at a microbial level, the saniDART, that uses FDA-GRAS, AOAC-certified abiotic bacterial surrogates in order to enable in-process corrective actions, evaluate sanitation crew accuracy and proficiency, and support environmental monitoring, continuous improvement, root cause analysis, in-house validation, and FSMA and SQF audits. To learn more, contact us at www.safetraces.com

SOURCE SafeTraces, Inc.