News
Charm Sciences Achieves Independent Validation of First 15 Minute Quantitative Screening Method for Aflatoxin M1
Lawrence, MA – Charm Sciences is pleased to announce that its lateral flow MRLAFMQ test for the detection of aflatoxin M1 in raw commingled milk is the first lateral flow test to receive independent third party validation.
The peer reviewed report of the validation by Technology and Food Science Unit of the Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO-T&V) has been published by the Taylor & Francis Group. Aflatoxin B1, the most toxic aflatoxin and a known carcinogen, can be passed from contaminated feed through a cow’s milk as aflaxoton M1, to a consumer.
While aflatoxin M1 is not as potent as B1, it is still classified as a group 1 carcinogen. “Unfortunately, there is no known way to extract aflatoxin M1 from milk,” said Bob Salter, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for Charm Sciences, “so it is vital to have an effective screening plan in place. Not only does Charm’s MRLAFMQ lateral flow test detect aflatoxin M1 in only 15 minutes, but it requires no preparation of materials, making it extremely easy for plants to run consistently. This test is easily run on the same Charm® equipment used to screen milk for antibiotics at most dairies and farms.”
The test kit was evaluated with both Charm’s ROSA® Reader and the Charm EZ® system. The all-in-one Charm EZ system identifies the appropriate mycotoxin test using color-coded strips then reads and displays the quantitative test results; test data is stored on an SD card for reporting and analysis.
The article Validation of a lateral flow test (MRLAFMQ) for the detection of aflatoxin M1 at 50 ng/L in raw commingled milk is available for download from Taylor & Francis online at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/19440049.2014.979888
About Charm Sciences
Established in 1978 in Greater Boston, Charm Sciences helps protect consumers, manufacturers, and global brands from a variety of issues through the development of food safety, water quality, and environmental diagnostics tests and equipment. Selling directly and through its network of distributors, Charm’s products serve the dairy, feed and grain, food and beverage, water, healthcare, environmental, and industrial markets in more than 100 countries around the globe. https://www.charm.com