Food Safety
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Safety
  • NEWS
    • Latest News
    • White Papers
  • PRODUCTS
  • TOPICS
    • Contamination Control
    • Food Types
    • Management
    • Process Control
    • Regulatory
    • Sanitation
    • Supply Chain
    • Testing and Analysis
  • PODCAST
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Food Safety Five Newsreel
    • eBooks
    • FSM Distinguished Service Award
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Videos
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MORE
    • ENEWSLETTER >
      • Archive Issues
      • Subscribe to eNews
    • Store
    • Sponsor Insights
  • WEBINARS
  • FOOD SAFETY SUMMIT
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Testing & AnalysisMethodsMicrobiological

Real-Time PCR Provides Product Recall Prevention

June 1, 2004

“The value of an idea lies in the using of it,” said Thomas Edison many years ago. Its relevance to the food safety industry today is clear. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), once exclusively used for medical research, now has applications in food safety. Instead of waiting to be hit by a product recall crisis, adopting PCR technology such as Genevision’s Rapid Pathogen Detection System can help prevent one, saving lives, money and the reputation of an organization.

Take the case of the meat industry. According to the American Meat Institute, the average American consumes 28 lbs. of ground beef per year. In 2001, 27 billion pounds were manufactured by roughly 1,000 plants. That represents 32% of the U.S. meat and poultry supply and 15% of the nation’s supermarket meat department sales. When millions of pounds of beef are recalled the problem becomes explosive, involving a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) investigation into the “effectiveness” of the conducted recall.

It is staggering to consider the amount of money that E.coli O157:H7 alone costs the meat industry. According to Cattle Buyer’s Weekly, packers have incurred $100 million in recall costs and $250 million in increased operating costs and spent $400 million on beef safety research in the last 10 years. Furthermore, lost consumer demand was assessed at $1.6 billion in 1999 by agricultural ecomomist Ted Schroeder. To make matters worse, E. coli is not alone in causing such devastation. It is one of the least common foodborne illnesses, with a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate of 73,000 E. coli associated foodborne illness cases a year. Salmonella is responsible for another 1.4 million cases and Campylobacter is associated with 2.4 million cases per year.

Along with its impact on human health, recalls also seriously impact the stock market. H. Hooker and V. Salin from Texas A&M University recently studied the link between stock market reaction and food recalls and found that although share price levels return to pre-recall levels, their short-term impact can be significant.

Companies dedicate entire teams and resources to managing recalls because costs start adding up the minute the incidence of contamination has been identified. Recall costs include labor, notification and administration, production, legal counsel, distribution, marketing, consumer affairs and brokerage fees. All resources are redirected towards solving the problem rapidly to avoid a tarnished brand name and the long-term psychological impact on the consumer.

Advances in PCR Technology
Avoiding these costs and the devastation that follows a foodborne illness outbreak requires breaking the paradigm of traditional microbiology, improving both the quality of the technology involved in pathogen detection and the ability to communicate results effectively within an organization. The development of rapid detection methods result from a need to develop newer technologies to tackle food safety and quality control challenges.

The advent of PCR combined with genetic markers have enabled the detection of organisms in research settings and Warnex Inc. has adapted this tool for food security. “PCR is ideally suited for the food industry,” says Mark Busgang, president and CEO of Warnex Inc., experts in quality control and developer of the food safety technology, Genevision, that rapidly and accurately detects harmful bacteria, allowing agri-food facilities to more effectively monitor product quality and prevent costly recalls and potential food poisonings. “With our recently approved Genevision technology, we have created real-time PCR kits that are easy to use and affordable.”

Warnex’s Genevision technology, based on real-time PCR, responds to two of the most important criteria in rapid food detection: speed-to-results and accuracy. Its two levels of molecular markers identify the sequence of a pathogen with 99.9% accuracy and its proprietary software analyzes and prints the report automatically. This ultimately translates into faster turnaround time, reduced inventory and reduced recall probability. The “live” communication potential of the technology and its digital data format enable timely communication within an organization for informed decision making.

One of the challenges involved in investing in a new technology is the ability to adapt to evolving customer needs and regulations. Managers are extremely conscious of the need to have a rapid return on the investment. “Profit margins being what they are, no one will purchase a new technology that does not evolve with the marketplace,” says Yvan Coté, Ph.D., Warnex’s Vice President, R&D. “We have a deep commitment to research and development in order to keep Genevision relevant and state-of-the-art by developing a wide range of kits for foodborne pathogens, GMOs, allergens and viruses. With globalization, we can be certain that new pathogens and viruses will appear in North America on a regular basis and we need to be able to react quickly. As an example, Campylobacter has only recently become a factor in food testing but according to CDC, it is associated with 2.4 million cases of reported foodborne illness each year.”

warnex.com

>
Author(s): Warnex

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • people holding baby chicks

    Serovar Differences Matter: Utility of Deep Serotyping in Broiler Production and Processing

    This article discusses the significance of Salmonella in...
    Meat/Poultry
    By: Nikki Shariat Ph.D.
  • woman washing hands

    Building a Culture of Hygiene in the Food Processing Plant

    Everyone entering a food processing facility needs to...
    Personal Hygiene/Handwashing
    By: Richard F. Stier, M.S.
  • graphical representation of earth over dirt

    Climate Change and Emerging Risks to Food Safety: Building Climate Resilience

    This article examines the multifaceted threats to food...
    Best Practices
    By: Maria Cristina Tirado Ph.D., D.V.M. and Shamini Albert Raj M.A.
Manage My Account
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Subscribe to eNewsletter
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Website Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Food Safety Magazine audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Food Safety Magazine or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • mold
    Sponsored byIFC

    Tackling Mold Remediation in Food Processing Plants

  • a worker in a food processing plant
    Sponsored byLPS® DETEX®

    How a Beverage Facility Improved Food Safety and Compliance with Detectable Packaging Solutions

  • Two men standing in a produce storage facility having a discussion.
    Sponsored byOrkin Commercial

    Staying Compliant With FSMA

Popular Stories

carton of dozen brown eggs

Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Eggs Ends With One Dead, 38 Hospitalized

close-up shot of nickel metal

New EU Maximum Levels for Nickel Now Apply to Dozens of Foods

blue iced donuts next to pie of sugar with blue written in it

FDA Authorizes Use of Fourth ‘Natural’ Food Dye, Gardenia Blue

Events

July 22, 2025

Beyond the Binder: Digital Management of Food Safety

Live: July 22, 2025 at 3:00 pm EDT: During this webinar, attendees will learn best practices for the use of digital food safety management systems across industry and regulatory agencies.

August 7, 2025

Achieve Active Managerial Control of Major Risk Factors Using a Food Safety Management System

Live: August 7, 2025 at 2:00 pm EDT: From this webinar, attendees will learn about changes to the FDA Food Code, which now includes a requirement for FSMS. 

May 11, 2026

The Food Safety Summit

Stay informed on the latest food safety trends, innovations, emerging challenges, and expert analysis. Leave the Summit with actionable insights ready to drive measurable improvements in your organization. Do not miss this opportunity to learn from experts about contamination control, food safety culture, regulations, sanitation, supply chain traceability, and so much more.

View All

Products

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

See More Products
Environmental Monitoring Excellence eBook

Related Articles

  • Real-Time PCR Test Kit Provides Faster Time to Results

    See More
  • High-throughput PCR Provides Real-time Solutions

    See More
  • Real-Time PCR Test Speeds Time to Results

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • 9781138198463.jpg

    Food Safety Management Programs: Applications, Best Practices, and Compliance

  • Food-Forensics-3D.jpg

    Food Forensics Handbook Practice, Instrumentation, Case Studies

  • 9781498762878.jpg

    Food Safety and Protection

See More Products

Related Directories

  • Recall InfoLink Inc.

    Recall InfoLink is a subscription software that makes recall process management easier and more effective. The cloud platform enables companies across the supply chain to easily distribute recall information, track progress in real time, generate reports for compliance needs, and complete modernized mock recall exercises.
  • Instant Recall LLC

    Instant Recall automates best practice workflows, data analysis and regulatory reporting for mock recalls, product holds, withdrawals, and recalls for the food industry. Learn why the food industry consistently chooses us as the shared solution for food recall preparedness, recall communications execution, and cost recovery!
  • Tive

    Leading food shippers and suppliers rely on Tive for real-time cold chain shipment visibility. Tive’s hyper-accurate trackers and cloud-based visibility platform provide data and alerts on the location and temperature of your perishables in real time, allowing you to actively monitor shipments and prevent in-transit issues before they occur.
×

Never miss the latest news and trends driving the food safety industry

eNewsletter | Website | eMagazine

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing