BASINGSTOKE, United Kingdom--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Food microbiology laboratories can now confidently test to a recognized standard for Listeria monocytogenes with the Thermo Scientific SureTect Listeria monocytogenes Assay, which has been granted Performance Tested Method^SM status by the AOAC Research Institute.

Listeria monocytogenes can be present in a variety of foodstuffs, including some processed meats and cheeses, and in fresh foods such as cantaloupe melon and raw spinach.

The SureTect Listeria monocytogenes PCR Assay has proven to be comparable to the reference method ISO 11290-1:1996, including Amendment 1:2004 (Listeria monocytogenes). This follows the recent granting of AOAC-RI Performance Method status for the SureTect Salmonella species PCR Assay.

“We are delighted to have received validation of our Listeria monocytogenes PCR assay, which is one of a number of assays we offer for molecular food testing,” says Sumi Thaker, VP Global Marketing, Microbiology, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “These assays are part of the SureTect Real-Time PCR System that has been designed to streamline test workflow and reduce time to result, which are primary considerations in today’s pathogen test selection. We anticipate validation on a number of new assays over the next few months.”

The SureTect System was developed to detect microorganisms quickly and accurately in a broad range of foods and associated samples. This unique solution combines:

• Ease of use: Pre-filled lysis tubes and tableted PCR reagents to minimize the number of pipetting steps and hands-on time
• Speed: Optimized single enrichment step for key food matrices and straightforward sample lysis in less than 20 minutes
• Convenience: Common PCR protocols facilitate efficient processing of multiple assays in the same run
• Superior PCR Technology: Probe-based real-time assays for unparallel sensitivity and specificity

For more information, please contact your local Thermo Scientific representative or visit www.thermoscientific.com/SureTect.

About Thermo Fisher Scientific

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science. Our mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. With revenues of $13 billion, we have 39,000 employees and serve customers within pharmaceutical and biotech companies, hospitals and clinical diagnostic labs, universities, research institutions and government agencies, as well as in environmental and process control industries. We create value for our key stakeholders through three premier brands, Thermo Scientific, Fisher Scientific and Unity Lab Services, which offer a unique combination of innovative technologies, convenient purchasing options and a single solution for laboratory operations management. Our products and services help our customers solve complex analytical challenges, improve patient diagnostics and increase laboratory productivity. Visit www.thermofisher.com.

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