Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium. It is amongst the most extensively studied bacteria worldwide and constitues a natural component of the gut flora of humans and warm-blooded mammals.
STEC: a particularly pathogenic group of E. coli
One of the most significant pathogenic groups is STEC — Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. These bacteria produce the virulence factors (also known as Shiga toxins), including stx1 and/or stx2. These toxins have been implicated in the damage of the intestinal wall and can cause severe gastrointestinal illness. The total number of described serotypes within this group of E. coli bacteria is more than 500. One of the most prevalent serotypes is serotype O157:H7, which is associated with severe disease progression.
Infection with STEC is typically transmitted via the fecal-oral route, through contaminated food, water, or surfaces.
The most common sources of infection:
- Raw or undercooked meat
- Raw milk or raw milk products
- Fresh salads
- Sprouts
- Contaminated drinking water
Therefore, the fast and reliable detection of STEC in food is essential to ensure food safety.
The solution: precision in real-time
With
- SureFast® STEC 4plex ONE (Art. No. F5265),
- SureFast® Escherichia coli Serotype I 4plex (Art. No. F5167),
- and SureFast® Escherichia coli Serotype II 4plex (Art. No. F5168)
food producers and laboratories benefit from an innovative solution for the rapid, efficient, and reliable detection of STEC and serotypes O157 (including O157:H7), O121, O26, O103, O111, O45, and O145 in various food products.
Validated by AOAC-RI: highest standard in food safety
Our new external AOAC Performance Tested MethodsSM certification confirms that our
real-time PCR kits meet the highest standards for performance and reliability. The corresponding AOAC PTM certificate can be downloaded here.
The real-time PCR kits have been AOAC PTM validated for the following food important matrices:
- Baby spinach
- Guacamole
- Raw beef trim
- Raw ground beef
- Sprouts
- Wheat flour
Underlining – our real-time PCR ensure food safety in addition to meeting regulatory requirements.
The relevant product documents can be found and downloaded here.