Dipstick Test Could Reduce Risk of Food Poisoning

A student from the University of South Carolina, Columbia, has led a research project that could foster the development of a consumer test kit that would reveal if food is spoiled or safe to eat. The results of this research were presented by Ivy Tran, a chemistry student from the school and one of the researchers on the project, last Sunday at the meeting of the American Chemical Society in Chicago. Tran conducted the research with John J. Lavigne, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, as well as graduate students Marc Maynor and Toby Nelson.

The disposable dipstick test kit is capable of detecting the presence of nonvolatile biogenic amines formed by disease-causing bacteria in less than five minutes. Preliminary studies have found the test to be 90% accurate.

Although our first tests have focused on fish, this test could be used with meats, fruits and vegetables, Tran said. However, we still need to test other food types.

Lavigne added: Theres no other test like this targeting the consumer market right now that I am aware of. It has the potential to greatly impact public health and change the way individual diners think about the quality of their food. He said consumers might be able to use the dipsticks anywhere, including homes, restaurants and commercial kitchens.

The researchers developed polymer biosensors that change color in the presence of amines, and then tested the biosensors against samples of fish, including fresh salmon, fresh tuna and canned tuna. Lavigne notes that the polymers change from dark purple to yellow in the presence of badly spoiled fish and from dark purple to a reddish hue in the presence of mildly spoiled fish.

Many of the tests now available to detect food spoilage are time consuming and require professionals, said Tran. They also require longer periods of time for results.

Lavigne said the researchers are working to improve the speed, sensitivity and accuracy of the new test, but it could be on store shelves in two to three years.

See the University of South Carolina press release for complete details.