Automated combination system speeds up testing

Pamela David, product manager for the German firm, which is based in Potsdam, told FoodProductionDaily.com that the Foodproof RoboPrep Flex system was the first of its kind.

"There was previously no automated system for GMOs. This was developed for GMOs, but then tested with allergens and animal species differentiation and it worked fine."​

It has been developed for food producers and laboratories with medium to high sample throughput, said Biotecon Diagnostics.

96 samples in 35 minutes​

The method is able to process 96 samples in 35 minutes without the risk of cross-contamination and David said this was a massive improvement on previous manual testing, which took 40-45 minutes to process one sample.

In addition, the system used magnetic bead technology for optimal DNA extraction from even complex matrices, she said, making it much more sensitive than previous tests.

Extracted DNA can be mixed with realtime polymerase chain reaction- (PCR)-based detection and quantification kits.

DNA extraction​

This provides fast and effective plant and animal DNA extraction from foods, beverages, environmental samples and raw materials.

In addition, it delivered much purer genomic DNA, improving on the sensitivity of previous tests, said David.

“This cooperation is another important step for us in the global expansion of our robotics portfolio, because the automation and standardization of processes in the food industry has become increasingly important,”​ said Kornelia Berghof-Jäger, chief executive of Biotecon Diagnostics.