DuPont Nutrition & Health BAX® System Approved By Health Canada

The BAX® system, a genetics-based diagnostic tool from DuPont Nutrition & Health, has been approved by Health Canada as an analytical method for detecting Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7 in a variety of food.



Image: Tableted PCR reagents make the BAX® system easy, quick and cost-effective.

Health Canada is the federal department that provides national leadership in developing health policy, enforcing health regulations, and promoting disease prevention. "We're pleased to include the BAX® system in our Compendium of Analytical Methods, which food companies throughout Canada use for approved pathogen testing procedures" said Don Warburton, food microbiologist at Health Canada's Evaluation Division, Bureau of Microbial Safety.

Maple Leaf Foods, Canada's largest food processor, is already using the BAX® system. "We understand that in food safety, prevention is paramount to maintaining high standards of food safety assurance," notes Ron W. Judge, director of Quality Assurance. "Investing in leading edge technology from suppliers such as DuPont, who share and are guided by the same principles, is of paramount importance in delivering on our commitment to food safety."

"The BAX® system continues to meet or exceed the standards for foodborne pathogen testing around the world," said Kevin Huttman, president of DuPont Nutrition & Health. "This approval opens the door for more companies in Canada to integrate BAX® system reliability into their standard food safety programs."

According to the World Health Organization, foodborne diseases are a widespread and growing public health problem. Salmonellosis is a major problem in most countries. Infections due to enterohemorrhagic E. coli and listeriosis, with severe, sometimes fatal consequences, are counted among the most serious of emerging foodborne infections. In industrialized countries, up to 30 percent of the population suffers from foodborne illness each year.

The BAX® system uses advanced molecular technology to detect target bacteria in raw ingredients, finished food products and environmental samples. In addition to Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes, assays are available for detecting Listeria genus and Enterobacter sakazakii. The automated system is user-friendly and fits easily onto a laboratory bench top. Introduced in November 2000, hundreds of automated BAX® systems are already in use by governments, food companies and laboratories around the world.