February 10, 2014 (Philadelphia) - Invisible Sentinel Inc., a life- sciences company that develops rapid diagnostics for the detection of foodborne pathogens, announced today that its first-in-class rapid diagnostic for the detection of Listeria species received certification from the Association of Analytical Communities (AOAC).
The Company’s Veriflow® Listeria species assay (Veriflow® LS), has been approved to detect bacterial contamination by Listeria species in various food types, including ready-to-eat foods, deli meat, and dairy products, and on various surfaces with which food is in contact during preparation and packaging.
The AOAC is a global standardization organization that validates analytical test methods for the food industry. The AOAC Performance Tested MethodsSM designation is recognized by the US Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and global regulatory agencies.
Listeria species testing accounts for greater than 40% of the total volume of food- pathogen testing in the U.S.
Nick Siciliano, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Invisible Sentinel, commented: “This approval not only broadens our Veriflow® portfolio but also enables a far larger segment of the food and beverage industry to benefit from the advantages of our technology. The range of species detected by Veriflow® LS demonstrates the reach of this technology along with its convenience.”
Ben Pascal, co-founder and Chief Business Officer of Invisible Sentinel, added: “Veriflow® LS has been highly rated by our clients during the field testing of this assay which we have conducted over the past year. Like other diagnostics in our growing Veriflow® product line, Veriflow® LS features accessibility and simplicity not typically associated with other molecular technologies.”
With the certification of Veriflow® LS, Invisible Sentinel has now achieved AOAC approvals for three assays designed to protect against illness due to contaminated food. The Veriflow® Campylobacter assay (Veriflow® CA) and Veriflow® Listeria monocytogenes assay (Veriflow® LM) received approvals last year.
Invisible Sentinel anticipates AOAC approval of a fourth product in the Veriflow® product line, the Veriflow® Salmonella species assay (Veriflow® SS), in the coming weeks.
Veriflow® LS and other Veriflow® assays are available directly from Invisible Sentinel. For ordering information or quotations, please email orders@invisiblesentinel.com or call the Invisible Sentinel customer service team at 215-966-6118.
About Invisible Sentinel
Based in Philadelphia at the University City Science Center, Invisible Sentinel develops diagnostic technologies for a safer food supply. The Company focuses on developing rapid diagnostics that quickly provide accurate information about the presence of harmful pathogens. The first-in-class patented technology, produced under good manufacturing practices, provides the same data as the US Department of Agriculture reference methods but minimizes the time, reduces the cost, and lowers the overhead associated with conventional diagnostics. The food and beverage industry is the first market that the Company is targeting, but its platform technology has the potential to provide valuable tools for additional industries including healthcare, veterinary, biodefense, and environmental testing, where rapid detection of target analytes from unrefined samples is critical. Uniquely designed for easy, practical use—on-site and throughout the entire food distribution network—Invisible Sentinel’s proprietary diagnostic products promise to create a new standard for rigorous quality control.
About the University City Science Center
The University City Science Center accelerates technology commercialization, regional economic development, and the market availability of life-enhancing scientific breakthroughs by bringing together innovations, scientists, entrepreneurs, funding, laboratory facilities, and business services. Established in 1963 and headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, the Science Center was the first, and remains the largest, urban research park in the United States. Graduate organizations and current residents of the University City Science Center’s Port business incubators have created more than 15,000 jobs that remain in the Greater Philadelphia region today and contribute more than $9 billion to the regional economy annually. For more information about the Science Center, go to www.sciencecenter.org.
Help employers find you! Check out all the jobs and post your resume.
