Researchers at the University of Alberta have developed a
faster and cheaper test to detect E. coli bacteria in meat-packing plants.
The black-box kit is small enough to fit in a shoe box.
The development comes only months after the nation’s largest
and financially-crippling recall of beef by XL Foods Inc. of Brooks, Alta.
The company is now owned by JBS USA which is, in turn,
controlled by JBS of Brazil.
The research teams says meat samples can be put inside the box, a button
is pushed and results are available in less than an hour.
The test involves multiplying genes in a device about the size of a
postage stamp.
The research team also says the test can be run by ordinary staff who
won’t need a lot of academic or technical training.
Genome Alberta is investing $500,000 to bring the device to market, but
the team provided no estimate of when it will be available.
