Real-time PCR
Molecular diagnostics in food analysis
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Real-time PCR
PCR (short for polymerase chain reaction) is an important analysis method in food analysis as well as in medical diagnostics.
A real-time PCR test duplicates and analyzes specific DNA sequences. In food analysis, PCR tests are used in many applications, e.g. for the detection of pathogenic microorganisms, for allergen identification, for the detection of genetically modified organisms (GMO) or for the identification of animal species. PCR tests offer many advantages: They are very specific, sensitive, robust, rapid, reliable and moreover, the tests can be automated.
- Safe: specific and validated method
- Reliable: quality-controlled test kits
- User-friendly: easy-to-use, universal sample preparation
- Effective: capable to multiplex and quantify
- Versatile: many application areas
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Real-time PCR explained
The first step of all analysis is representative sampling and homogenization. After lysis of the organic cells of food tissue, the DNA will be prepared using different dedicated DNA or RNA preparation kits either for bacteria or viruses.
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Your way to automation
Discover the new walk-away solution: Semi-automated nucleic acid preparation for all food and feed samples with the TANBead Maelstrom™ 8 Autostage and the extraction kit SureFast® Mag PREP Food.
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The multiplex real-time PCR thermocycler
RIDA®CYCLER is a compact and easy-to-use real-time PCR cycler that allows fast and flexible analysis of your food & feed samples. The user-friendly software enables a fast analysis start of one or more tests simultaneously.
SureFood® PREP Basic and SureFood® Prep Advanced kits are used for solid food and feed from plant or meat origin. For beverages specific DNA preparation kits will be used depending on the matrix, whereas the new QuickGEN line allows a straight forward easy handling.
The modular system of DNA preparation and DNA detection can be used independently. Amplification of the target DNA requires in addition to the relevant kits the use of a suitable thermocycler with two (FAM/HEX) up to 4 (FAM/HEX/ROX/Cy5) detection channels.
Application areas for PCR in food testing
Real-time PCR Product Overview
Food allergies can cause severe immunological reactions. In order to protect customers, food products have to be tested for allergenic substances. We offer a wide range of PCR kits for the detection of allergens such as soya, hazelnut, peanut, gluten, almond, celery, sesame, mustard, fish or crustaceans. We also offer multiplex assays for the simultaneous detection of multiple allergens (peanut/hazelnut/walnut and celery/soya/mustard).
Species specification is of great interest: meat products can be falsified due to incorrect declaration (see horse meat scandal). Another application is the guarantee of religious dietary rules (halal, kosher). Our SureFood® Animal ID product line allows for sensitive testing for pork, beef, horse, donkey, chicken, turkey and other species. With the SureFood® Fish ID product line, we offer a wide range of PCR kits for the identification of fish species.
When producing beverages, the detection of beverage spoilers is crucial. With the GEN-IAL® product line, we offer a wide range of screening kits for the detection of spoilage organisms in beer and wine production, e.g. Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, Megasphaera, Pectinatus, Dekkera bruxellensis or Oenococcus oeni. The test kits can be used for in-process control as well as for final product control.
In recent years, the worldwide production of genetically modified food has steadily increased. Since food products, which contain genetically modified organisms (GMO), must be labelled, the demand for sensitive test methods is increasing. Our SureFood® GMO product line allows for qualitative and quantitative detection of GMO – such as genetically modified maize, LibertyLink Rice or Roundup Ready Soya.
Detection of microbiological contamination is one of the main fields of application of PCR in food analysis. Our product line SureFast® detects a wide range of pathogenic bacteria (e.g. Salmonella, Listeria, Legionella, E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Campylobacter), viruses (e.g. Norovirus, Hepatitis and Influenza) as well as spoilage yeast and bacteria.
Product portfolio
| Product | Description | No. of tests/amount | Art. No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| SureFood® ANIMAL ID Poultry IAAC |
The test detects poultry DNA. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control and an internal detection assay for vertebrates DNA (IAAC). Read more |
100 reactions | S6125 |
| SureFood ® ANIMAL ID 4plex Beef/Horse/Pork+IAAC |
The test detects beef (Bos taurus), horse (Equus caballus) and pork (Sus scrofa) DNA. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control and an internal detection assay for vertebrates DNA (IAAC). Read more |
100 reactions | S6126 |
| Product | Description | No. of tests/amount | Art. No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| SureFood® Oat |
The real-time PCR test detects DNA of oat (Avena sativa) qualitatively. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control (IAC). Read more |
100 reactions | S7004 |
| SureFood® ALLERGEN Mustard |
The SureFood® ALLERGEN Mustard is a real-time PCR for the direct, qualitative and / or quantitative detection of specific white mustard (Sinapis alba), indian mustard (Brassica juncea) und black mustard (Brassica nigra) DNA sequences according to … Read more |
100 reactions | S3609 |
| SureFood® ALLERGEN Lupin |
The real-time PCR test detects DNA of lupin (Lupinus spp.) according to directive (EC) 1169/2011 qualitatively and / or quantitatively. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control (IAC). For the quantitative determination the use of the … Read more |
100 reactions | S3611 |
| SureFood® ALLERGEN Celery |
The real-time PCR test detects DNA of celery (Apium graveolens) according to directive (EC) 1169/2011 qualitatively and / or quantitatively. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control (IAC). For the quantitative determination the use of … Read more |
100 reactions | S3605 |
| SureFood® ALLERGEN Molluscs |
The SureFood® ALLERGEN Molluscs is a real-time PCR for the direct, qualitative and / or quantitative detection of specific molluscs (mollusca) DNA sequences according to directive (EC) 1169/2011 in food. The molluscs family contains 50,000 – … Read more |
100 reactions | S3613 |
| SureFood® ALLERGEN Fish |
The SureFood® ALLERGEN Fish is a real-time PCR for the direct, qualitative and / or quantitative detection of specific fish DNA sequences according to directive (EC) 1169/2011. The group of fishes contains about 30000 species. Due to the large … Read more |
100 reactions | S3610 |
| SureFood® ALLERGEN Crustaceans |
The SureFood® ALLERGEN Crustaceans is a real-time PCR for the direct, qualitative and / or quantitative detection of specific crustaceans (Crustacea) DNA sequences according to directive (EC) 1169/2011. The crustacean family contains about 44,000 … Read more |
100 reactions | S3612 |
| SureFood® ALLERGEN Sesame |
The real-time PCR test detects DNA of sesame (Sesamum indicum) according to directive (EC) 1169/2011 qualitatively and / or quantitatively. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control (IAC). For the quantitative determination the use of … Read more |
100 reactions | S3608 |
| SureFood® ALLERGEN Walnut |
The SureFood® ALLERGEN Walnut is a real-time PCR for the direct, qualitative and / or quantitative detection of specific walnut (Juglans regia and Juglans nigra) DNA sequences according to directive (EC) 1169/2011. For the quantitative determination … Read more |
100 reactions | S3607 |
| SureFood® ALLERGEN Pistachio |
The SureFood® ALLERGEN Pistachio is a real-time PCR for the direct, qualitative and / or quantitative detection of specific pistachio (Pistacia vera) DNA sequences according to directive (EC) 1169/2011. For the quantitative determination the use of … Read more |
100 reactions | S3614 |
| SureFood® ALLERGEN Pecan |
The SureFood® ALLERGEN Pecan is a real-time PCR for the direct, qualitative and / or quantitative detection of specific pecan (Carya illinoinensis) DNA sequences according to directive (EC) 1169/2011. For the quantitative determination the use of … Read more |
100 reactions | S3618 |
| SureFood® ALLERGEN Peanut |
The real-time PCR test detects DNA of peanut (Arachis hypogaea) according to directive (EC) 1169/2011 qualitatively and / or quantitatively. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control (IAC). For the quantitative determination the use of … Read more |
100 reactions | S3603 |
| SureFood® ALLERGEN Macadamia |
The real-time PCR test detects DNA of macadamia (Macadamia ternifolia) according to directive (EC) 1169/2011 qualitatively and / or quantitatively. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control (IAC). For the quantitative determination the … Read more |
100 reactions | S3616 |
| SureFood® ALLERGEN Hazelnut |
The real-time PCR test detects DNA of hazelnut (Glycine max) according to directive (EC) 1169/2011 qualitatively and / or quantitatively. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control (IAC). For the quantitative determination the use of … Read more |
100 reactions | S3602 |
| SureFood® ALLERGEN Cashew |
The real-time PCR test detects DNA of cashew (Anacardium occidentale) according to directive (EC) 1169/2011 qualitatively and / or quantitatively. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control (IAC). For the quantitative determination the … Read more |
100 reactions | S3615 |
| SureFood® ALLERGEN Brazil Nut |
The SureFood® ALLERGEN Brazil Nut is a real-time PCR for the direct, qualitative and / or quantitative detection of specific brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) DNA sequences according to directive (EC) 1169/2011. For the quantitative determination … Read more |
100 reactions | S3617 |
| SureFood® ALLERGEN Almond |
The real-time PCR test detects DNA of almond (Prunus dulcis) according to directive (EC) 1169/2011 qualitatively and / or quantitatively. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control (IAC). For the quantitative determination the use of … Read more |
100 reactions | S3604 |
| SureFood® ALLERGEN Soya |
The real-time PCR test detects soya DNA (Glycine max) according to directive (EC) 1169/2011 qualitatively and / or quantitatively. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control (IAC). For the quantitative determination the use of the … Read more |
100 reactions | S3601 |
| SureFood® ALLERGEN Gluten |
The SureFood® ALLERGEN Gluten is a real-time PCR for the direct, qualitative and / or quantitative detection of specific gluten-containing cereals (wheat such as spelt and khorasan wheat, rye, barley, oats) DNA sequences according to directive (EC) … Read more |
100 reactions | S3606 |
| Product | Description | No. of tests/amount | Art. No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| SureFood® GMO ID 4plex Canola II |
The multiplex test detects the following DNA-sequences of genetically modified canola: – FAM channel: MON88302 canola (OECD unique identifier MON-883Ø2-9) – VIC channel: Canola – ROX channel: DP73496 canola (OECD unique identifier … Read more |
100 reactions | S2167 |
| Product | Description | No. of tests/amount | Art. No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN P1 Screening without yeast high |
Qualitative detection of bacterial contaminations in beer and mixed beer drinks. Read more |
48 reactions tube strips (freeze-dried, incl. IC-DNA) |
Q031 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN Yeast Saccharomyces diastaticus low |
Detection of Saccharomyces diastaticus in beverages by real-time PCR. Read more |
48 reactions | Q182 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN P1 and S. diastaticus Screening high |
Qualitative detection of bacterial and S.diastaticus contaminations in filtrated beer and mixed beer drinks and yeast containing samples. Read more |
48 reactions tube strips (freeze-dried, incl. IC-DNA and lyticase) |
Q041 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN Yeast differentiation high |
Differentiation of 12 beer spoilage yeasts in beer and mixed beer drinks. The following yeast are differentiated: Saccharomyces exiguus Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. diastaticus Saccharomyces bayanus / pastorianus Saccharomycodes ludwigii … Read more |
96 reactions for 12 samples (tubes contain lyticase). | Q541 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN P1 Screening and Hop resistance high |
Qualitative detection of bacterial contaminations and the hop resistance genes hor A and hor C as genetic markers for beer-spoilage microorganisms in beer and mixed beer drinks. Read more |
48 reactions | Q051 |
| SureFast®STEC Screening PLUS |
The SureFast® STEC Screening PLUS is a real-time PCR for the direct, qualitative detection of DNA sequences of the virulence factors stx1 (subtype a-d) and stx2 (subtype a-g) of Escherichia coli (STEC). Each reaction contains an internal … Read more |
100 reactions | F5105 |
| SureFast® Hepatitis E PLUS |
SureFast® Hepatitis E PLUS is a real-time RT-PCR for the direct and qualitative detection of hepatitis E virus. The test contains an Internal Control RNA (ICR, consisting of MS2-bacteriophage) as an internal control of sample preparation procedure … Read more |
100 reactions | F7142 |
| GEN-IAL® Pichia membranaefaciens |
Real-time PCR-Kit for the detection of Pichia membranaefaciens. Read more |
50 reactions | Q930 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN Yeast Wickerhamomyces anomalus |
Detection of Wickerhamomyces anomalus in beverages (e.g. beer, wine, grape must) by real-time PCR. Read more |
50 reactions | Q175 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN® Yeast Top fermented high |
Real-time PCR-Kit for the detection of top-fermented yeast. Read more |
48 reactions | Q151 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN Yeast Bottom fermented high |
Detection of bottom-fermented yeast in beverages by real-time PCR. Read more |
48 reactions | Q161 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN Pectinatus / Megasphaera differentiation low |
Real-time PCR-Kit for the detection of Pectinatus spp. and Megasphaera spp in beverages. Read more |
48 reactions | Q112 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN Beer yeast and bacteria differentiation high |
Differentiation of beer spoilage bacteria and yeast in beer and mixed beer drinks. The following bacteria and yeasts are differentiated: Lactobacilli Pediococci Acetic acid bacteria Enterobacteriaceae Bottom-fermented yeast Top-fermented yeast Wild … Read more |
96 PCR reactions (24 samples) 12 stripes |
Q071 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN Hop resistance |
Qualitative detection and differentiation of the hop resistance genes hor A / hor C / hit A and ORF 5 as genetic markers for beer-spoilage microorganisms. Read more |
50 reactions | Q105 |
| GEN-IAL® QuickGEN Beer differentiation high |
Differentiation of beer spoilage bacteria and yeast in beer and mixed beer drinks. The following bacteria and yeast are differentiated: L. acetotolerans, L. backii, L. brevis/L. brevisimilis/L. parabrevis, L. lindneri, L. casei/ L paracasei, L. … Read more |
12 strips à 8 tubes (one strip per sample, tube 2 contains lyticase) for 12 samples. | Q081 |
| GEN-IAL® Biogenic amines |
Real-time PCR kit for the detection of biogenic amines producing lactic acid bacteria in wine. Read more |
50 reactions | Q345 |
| SureFast® Enterobacteriaceae Screening PLUS |
The test detects Enterobacteriaceae DNA. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control (IAC). Read more |
100 reactions | F5507 |
| SureFast® Parasitic Water Panel 4plex |
The SureFast® Parasitic Water Panel 4plex is a real-time PCR for the direct, qualitative detection and differentiation of Giardia intestinalis, Entamoeba histolytica and Cryptosporidium spp.. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control … Read more |
100 reactions | F5506 |
| SureFast® Legionella 3plex |
The SureFast® Legionella 3plex is a real-time PCR for the direct, qualitative detection of Legionella spp. and Legionella pneumophila. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control (IAC). Read more |
100 reactions | F5505 |
| SureFast® Vibrio 4plex |
The SureFast® Vibrio 4plex is a real-time PCR for the direct, qualitative detection and differentiation of Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus DNA. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control (IAC). Read more |
100 reactions | F5161 |
| SureFast® Pseudomonas aeruginosa PLUS |
The SureFast® Pseudomonas aeruginosa PLUS is a real-time PCR for the direct, qualitative detection of a specific DNA sequence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control (IAC). Read more |
100 reactions | F5503 |
| SureFast® Escherichia coli PLUS |
The test detects Escherichia coli DNA. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control (IAC). Read more |
100 reactions | F5157 |
| SureFast® Cronobacter sakazakii PLUS |
SureFast® Cronobacter sakazakii PLUS is a real-time PCR for the direct, qualitative detection of Cronobacter sakazakii DNA. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control (IAC). Read more |
100 reactions | F5115 |
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