On-site testing

Efficient modern food production requires rapid decisions: Are the delivered goods safe to use? Is the production area free of contamination? Does the product meet the quality standards or is there a need for appropriate measures? What is required here is effective on-site analysis that is easy to perform and delivers fast results.

The benefits of on-site testing are obvious: The tests can be performed anywhere – in the incoming goods department, in the warehouse, in the production process, in quality control and in all industries. The tests are easy to perform and require little or no laboratory equipment. Accordingly, the tests can be performed by your own staff and no external laboratory has to be charged. On-site testing is thereby saving time and costs.

Test kits for on-site testing

We offer rapid on-site test kits for various applications in food analysis, e.g. for allergen management, for the detection of mycotoxins and for microbiological testing.

Since the demand for rapid tests continues to grow, we are constantly expanding our portfolio. At the moment, we are offering immunological, microbiological and enzymatic methods for on-site testing.

Immunological rapid tests

Lateral flow tests are immunochromatographic rapid test strips. They are available for mycotoxin and allergen analysis. As with other immunological assays, the test method is based on an antigen-antibody-reaction. To perform the analysis, the test strip is dipped into the liquid sample. If the analyte is present in the sample, a colored line becomes visible on the test strip after 5 minutes. This visual evaluation allows for qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis. Using a LFD reader, the test strips can also be analyzed quantitatively. In addition to fast results and easy handling, the advantages of lateral flow tests lie in low costs and high validity.

Microbiological on-site testing

For hygiene monitoring, a culture medium plate can be used. The benefit of this method for the detection of bacteria, viruses and molds in food is the easy handling: The sample is dropped onto the ready-to-use nutrient plate. Alternatively, the nutrient plate can be used as a contact plate and be pressed directly onto the production surface. After that, the plate must be incubated before reading the result. The Compact Dry is available for a wide variety of bacteria and viruses as well as for total aerobic count. Another type of microbial test is the Premi®Test, which allows for fast and simple screening of antibiotic residues in food.

Enzymatic on-site testing

Enzymatic methods are used for the determination of constituents such as sugar, acid or alcohol in food. This is particularly important when analyzing beverages or dairy products. The test format is based on an enzymatic reaction which results in a color change. Using an appropriate instrument, this color change can be easily measured. A particularly comfortable solution is a fully automatic system such as the compact and portable RIDA®CUBE SCAN. To perform the analysis, only the sample needs to be pipetted into the cartridge; all other steps are performed completely automatically. The result can be read in less than 15 minutes.

Instruments for on-site testing

Our innovative compact instruments and software solutions for on-site analysis are the perfect complement to our rapid test kits.