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Waters introduces Afla-V Aqua, eco-friendly aflatoxin testing solution
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Thursday, 21 August, 2014, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, Bengaluru
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fiogf49gjkf0d Waters Corporation has introduced Afla-V Aqua, a new eco-friendly method by Vicam to detect aflatoxins in grains.
Afla-V Aqua will allow grain, feed and food companies that perform Vertu rapid strip tests for aflatoxin to now analyse with fewer steps and without the need for organic solvents such as methanol.
Traditionally, methanol or water mixture is used to extract aflatoxins from grains before analysis. However, methanol is expensive, flammable and must be disposed of as a hazardous waste. This makes the Afla-V Aqua especially desirable for large grain storage and processing operations, where large testing volumes create high hazmat disposal costs.
Furthermore, in some countries, methanol must be registered with the government to purchase, store and use on-site, according to the company. "We saw the industry needs for a green testing method, which is simple, sensitive and easy-to-use. The only solvent required with the new Aqua product is water,” explained Marjorie Radlo-Zandi, GM, director of operations, Vicam.
The Afla-V Aqua Strip Tests utilise the proven sensitivity and selectivity of Vicam’s monoclonal antibodies to accurately detect and measure total aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1 and G2) at levels as low as 2.5 ppb and as high as 50 ppb.
Afla-V Aqua utilises a water-based, dilution-free extraction procedure that develops in just five minutes. Results are displayed on the digital screen and may also be printed or transferred to Excel for storage and used as a vital quality assurance tool.
Aflatoxins are naturally occurring chemical byproducts of mold species, which are natural inhabitants of crop soils. Severe rain and drought can encourage aflatoxin production, and once released, aflatoxin and other mycotoxins are difficult to manage and nearly impossible to destroy. Aflatoxin B1 is classified as a Group I carcinogen and is highly toxic even at very low concentrations.
The USFDA and EU regulators impose specific norms for acceptable levels of mycotoxins. Producers and exporters use on-site and laboratory testing to ensure regulatory compliance and protect human and animal health from illnesses associated with mycotoxins, including cancer and feed refusal in animals.
Vicam is now the world’s leading provider of mycotoxin testing solutions, according to the company. Its test kits offer a choice of rapid qualitative screening and quantitative analysis methods for a wide variety of mycotoxins.
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