Warnex launches two novel tests for Campylobacter and 24-hour Listeria

08-16-2005: Warnex Inc. announced it is launching two new tests for use with the Warnex(TM) Rapid Pathogen Detection System. The first test detects Campylobacter jejuni, C. coli and C. lari in poultry rinses, and the second is a one-step 24-hour test for Listeria species in environmental samples. The distribution of these tests will begin in September.

Warnex's Campylobacter test detects three species of this pathogen, which account for 99% of reported Campylobacter illness cases. Contrary to traditional testing methods for Campylobacter that require 5 to 7 days, this test determines the presence of this pathogen within 48 hours. Warnex is currently completing the development of a quantitative test that will determine the amount of Campylobacter present in a sample. The Company intends to start commercializing this test during the first quarter of 2006, making it the first quantitative PCR test on the food testing market.

Warnex's new 24-hour Listeria spp. test for environmental samples has three innovations: 1) it is a test for environmental swabs, 2) it has a single enrichment step, thus simplifying the procedure, and 3) it provides results within 24 hours instead of 48 hours. A significant proportion of pathogen testing is used to monitor the environmental conditions of a food processing plant, by collecting swab samples from processing equipment, as well as from the walls, ceilings and floors of the plant. For example, in the dairy industry, 75% of pathogens tests are performed on environmental samples.