The first AOAC-certified product to enable pathogen results within an eight-hour shift has been approved. Pathotrak, a food safety technology startup, has announced the AOAC certification of its Rapid Pathogen Detection Enrichment Technology, which enables food safety tests within six hours. The AOAC certification for Pathotrak’s next-generation sample prep process applies to the detection of Salmonella and pathogenic Escherichia coli in romaine lettuce, and will soon extend the matrices to four additional leafy greens.

Pathotrak’s pathogen enrichment kits use a patented method of separating and concentrating pathogens from food samples by addressing the enrichment step of food testing, when samples are incubated for 22–48 hours until enough bacteria are grown to be tested effectively. Pathotrak’s technology incorporates a microfiltration process to create an environment where bacteria reproduce more quickly than they would traditionally.