AFNOR Certification has extended its validation of the DuPont™ BAX® System method to include the latest BAX® System X5 PCR assays for Salmonella (QUA 18/03-11/02) and E. coli O157:H7 (QUA 18/04-03/08). These validation extensions apply to the detection of Salmonella in all human and animal food products and production environments, and the detection of E. coli O157:H7 in raw meats, raw milk, fruits and vegetables.

“AFNOR Certification is particularly important to the European food industry, where validation according to ISO standards is a requirement before an alternative method can be adopted by food companies or contract testing laboratories,” says Hugo Gonzalez, EMEA sales leader for Diagnostics, DuPont Nutrition & Health. “Validation of the BAX® System X5 by AFNOR Certification allows customers to use these assays to quickly and reliably detect Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 in their products with certainty.”

The DuPont™ BAX® System X5 is an automated, PCR-based detection method that helps food companies, service laboratories and government agencies detect pathogens in raw ingredients, finished products and processing environments. The BAX® System X5 is designed to offer fast, accurate and easy-to-use pathogen detection that customers expect from the DuPont™ BAX® System, but in a smaller, lightweight construction to provide greater testing flexibility. BAX® System X5 PCR assays also are available for detecting Listeria species and L. monocytogenes and have been certified by the AOAC Research Institute (AOAC-RI) as an accurate and reliable method for detection of these organisms in food and environmental samples.

AFNOR Certification is a European independent validation that analyzes alternative detection methods for the food industry based on the EN ISO 16140 standard.