Seafood

Sensitive test systems to analyze fish and aquaculture

Industries

Seafood

From fish farming to fish processing, seafood must undergo extensive testing in order to obtain safe and high quality products.

R-Biopharm test kits can be applied throughout the whole production chain: from raw materials to final products, from the inspection of incoming goods to hygiene monitoring and finally to product analysis for correct labeling. Our large portfolio of different test formats can be used to analyze raw fish, canned fish and seafood such as shrimps and mussels.

Antibiotics, hormones and anabolics

Hormones and anabolics like methyltestosterone can be used for sex reversal in fish to obtain fast-growing all-male populations. Residues of these substances can bear health risks for consumers. For this reason, the use of hormones and anabolics in aquaculture is completely banned in most countries with exemptions for veterinary purposes. Residues in fishery and aquaculture products can also be caused by incorrect or illegal use of antibiotics which bear health risks for consumers. Additionally, the inappropriate use of antibiotics contributes to multi-resistance of pathogen bacteria.

Mycotoxins

Plant based aquaculture feed has a high risk of contamination with mycotoxins, especially in countries with humid tropical climates. Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by molds and can accumulate in various agricultural products. Mycotoxins have adverse effects on fish live stocks, like poor growth rates, low body weight gain and high mortality depending on the fish species and the mycotoxin. Thus, a proper risk assessment is important to minimize the exposure of aquacultures to mycotoxins and to avoid economical losses.

Pathogens, spoilage organisms, bacterial toxins and viruses

Fishery products are a favorable environment for bacteria such as ListeriaSalmonellaVibrio or Clostridium, which may cause serious foodborne diseases. Toxins, yeasts and viruses may be present in fishery products, too; especially mussels are at risk of a norovirus contamination. The monitoring of pathogens throughout the whole production chain is therefore crucial to ensure consumer protection and product stability.

Fish species identification

Fish must be labeled with the commercial designation of the species and its scientific name, according to EU Regulation 1379/2013 on the common organization of the markets in fishery and aquaculture products. The regulation also states that, for the purpose of consumer protection, national authorities should make full use of available technology, including DNA testing. To ensure correct labelling and avoid financial damages, enterprises as well as government agencies can rely on the highly sensitive and specific real-time PCR kits offered by R-Biopharm.

Acids and other constituents

Organic acids affect the rate of growth of pathogenic bacteria in food. Lactic acid and acetate are widely used as preservatives and anti-oxidants in fish, while sulfite is particularly used as preservative in shrimps. If the preservatives are injected into the fish, the concentration is precisely known. But if the fish is soaked in a solution, it is necessary to check the concentration in the tissues. Moreover, naturally occurring organic acids like lactic acid can play a role if they are present in the bacterial flora. Since there are legal limits depending on the country, the concentration of acids and other preservatives should be checked in the final product.

Histamine

Histamine is produced in fish during storage and can exceed levels of 1000 mg/kg. Several countries have set maximum tolerance levels for histamine due to its potential for human illness (commonly referred to as “scombroid poisoning”). The limit value for fish and fishery products is between 50 and 200 mg/kg depending on the fish species. Species that contain high levels of histamine are e.g. tuna, mackerel, sardines and anchovy. Fish of good quality should contain less than 10 mg/kg histamine.

Product portfolio

ProductDescriptionNo. of tests/amountArt. No.
Enzytec™ Liquid D-/L-Lactic acid

Enzymatic assay for D-Lactic acid and L-Lactic acid in foodstuff and other sample materials (without differentiation).

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Test-kit with 2 x 25 determinations for manual use,
(500 tests on automated systems),
2 x 50 ml R1 and 2 x 12.5 ml R2
E8240
D-Malic acid

UV-method for the determination of D-malic acid in foodstuffs and other materials.

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Test combination for 3 × 11 determinations 11215558035
Ammonia

UV-method for the determination of ammonia in foodstuffs and other materials and for the determination of nitrogen after Kjeldahl-digestion.

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Test combination for 50 determinations 11112732035
Formic acid

UV-method for the determination of formic acid in foodstuffs and other materials.

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Test combination for 21 determinations 10979732035
Urea / Ammonia

UV-method for the determination of urea and ammonia in foodstuffs and other materials and for the determination of nitrogen after Kjeldahl-digestion.

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Test combination for approx. 25 determinations each 10542946035
L-Glutamic acid

Colorimetric-method for the determination of L-glutamic acid in foodstuffs and other materials.

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Test combination for 3 × 13 determinations 10139092035
Cholesterol

Colorimetric method for the determination of cholesterol in foodstuffs and other materials.

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Test combination for 31 determinations 10139050035
Enzytec™ Generic L-Lactic acid

UV-method for the determination of L-Lactic acid in foodstuffs and other materials.

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Test combination for approx. 32 determinations E1254
Enzytec™ Generic Acetic acid

UV-method for the determination of Acetic acid in foodstuffs and other materials.

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Test combination for 2 x 16 determinations (approx. 32 assays) E1226
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ProductDescriptionNo. of tests/amountArt. No.
RIDASCREEN® Nitrofuran (AHD)

RIDASCREEN® Nitrofuran (AHD) is a competitive enzyme immunoassay for the quantitative analysis of the nitrofurantoin metabolite AHD in shrimp and fish.

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Microtiter plate with 96 wells (12 strips with 8 wells each) R3713
Premi®Test 25

Premi®Test is a microbial screening test that allows the detection of antibiotic residues, especially in fresh meat (beef, pork, poultry) in less than 4 hours. The test is sensitive to antibiotics of the following groups: β-lactams, cephalosporins, …

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25 ampoules R3925
Premi®Test 4×25

Premi®Test is a microbial screening test that allows the detection of antibiotic residues, especially in fresh meat (beef, pork, poultry) in less than 4 hours. The test is sensitive to antibiotics of the following groups: β-lactams, cephalosporins, …

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4 x 25 ampoules R3900
RIDASCREEN® Nitrofuran (AMOZ)

RIDASCREEN® Nitrofuran (AMOZ) is a competitive enzyme immunoassay for the quantitative determination of AMOZ in shrimp, fish, meat and poultry.

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Microtiter plate with 96 wells (12 strips with 8 wells each) R3722
RIDASCREEN® Nitrofuran (AOZ)

RIDASCREEN® Nitrofuran (AOZ) is a competitive enzyme immunoassay for the quantitative analysis of AOZ in shrimp, meat (chicken, pork, beef), liver (beef and pork), fish, whole egg and milk.

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Microtiter plate with 96 wells (12 strips with 8 wells each) R3703
RIDASCREEN® Chinolone/Quinolones

RIDASCREEN® Chinolone/Quinolones is a competitive enzyme immunoassay for the quantitative analysis of chinolones in egg, meat (beef, pork, sheep, chicken, turkey), fish and shrimp.

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Microtiter plate with 96 wells (12 strips with 8 wells each) R3113
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