800-328-8378; www.weberscientific.com/A3

Flexible module is designed for higher-quality nucleic acids

Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Applied Biosystems MagMAX CORE Mechanical Lysis Module is designed to optimize nucleic acid purification in the detection of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis and other difficult-to-lyse pathogens. MagMAX CORE is a magnetic bead-based universal sample prep solution that can be used to purify nucleic acids from 14 different sample matrices, including milk. The module is optimized for disruption of difficult-to-lyse pathogens and is used upstream from the MagMAX CORE Nucleic Acid Purification Kit to purify nucleic acids from all sample matrices.

866-356-0354; www.thermofisher.com/animalhealth

Integrated raw milk hygiene test for lower-throughput needs

BacSomatic, an integrated bacteria and somatic cell counter for testing the hygienic quality of milk, is available from Foss. The small automated instrument delivers accurate results for bacteria count and somatic cell count within nine minutes, or two-and-half minutes for somatic cell count alone. It is ideal for use at dairies, on large farms or in smaller milk-testing laboratories. It uses the same approved methods as top-of-the-range BactoScan (bacteria count) and Fossomatic (somatic cell count) milk analyzers, but is designed to match the lower-throughput needs of users requiring as few as 20 tests per day.

952-974-9892; www.fossanalytics.com

3M adds line of allergen-testing kits

A comprehensive line of allergen testing kits is offered by 3M Food Safety through its acquisition of Elution Technologies. The kits enable users to test for food allergens in both lateral flow and ELISA formats in an easy-to-use design. More than 30 allergen-specific immunoassays accurately detect nuts, soy, milk, egg, fish and gluten in both food and food processing environmental samples. The allergen tests join the company’s pathogen- and hygiene-monitoring solutions to help the food and beverage industry optimize the quality and safety of products.

800-328-6553; www.3M.com/foodsafety/allergens

Hygiena extends testing product range

With the extension of its testing product range to include polymerase chain reaction-based systems, Hygiena covers the spectrum of reliable contamination detection, from sample collection to screening of indicator organisms to specific microbial characterization. The product line gives manufacturers the confidence that their quality assurance programs operate to the highest standards. Designed to detect harmful bacteria and other microbes in food and environmental samples, the company’s BAX System analyzes samples at the genetic level to provide excellent sensitivity, specificity and accuracy.

+44 (0) 1223 253 787; www.hygiena.com

Compact digital refractometer delivers accuracy 

RWC Testing & Lab Supplies’ MDX-103 digital refractometer for sugars, including dextran, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose and sucrose, is compact for handheld use. The hard-shell plastic case is ideal for transport. Each case comes with a plastic transfer pipet, a battery and an instruction manual. A removable grip and prism cover allow for easy cleaning. Additional features include a continuous-loop read feature (15 reads), an automatic temperature control, zero with distilled water feature, an IP67 rating for detecting unit, an IP65 for remainder, a 589.3nm LED, a stainless steel prism well, a °C/°F switchable temperature display and a one-year warranty.

915-852-3375; www.rwctesting.com

Discovery platform offers rapid, rational enzyme selection

Biocatalysts Ltd. worked with The European Bioinformatics Institute to develop a software platform for data analysis called MetXtra. This system for identifying completely novel enzymes rapidly from large metagenomic DNA sequence libraries allows food and dairy researchers to discover unique enzymes quickly for specific applications. MetXtra filters results through bespoke algorithms, encompassing customer specifications and requirements such as solubility, pH and temperature, so the final set of candidate enzymes is targeted specifically to the researcher’s needs.

+44 (0)1443 843712; www.biocatalysts.com

Analyzer supplements sensory food testing

Shimadzu’s EZ-SX texture analyzer offers scientists a way to obtain objective numerical results on food texture to supplement sensory testing in food-development and quality-control applications. It has a wide range of texture-analysis fixtures for testing the most demanding foods. The dedicated software includes pre-installed settings for texture-analysis tests of products, including cheeses. This software offers a user-friendly graphical interface that seamlessly integrates method development, testing, data analysis and reporting.

800-477-1227; www.ssi.shimadzu.com

Mass spectrometer offers cross-platform solution

PerkinElmer’s NexION 2000 is a versatile ICP mass spectrometer, featuring an array of advanced technologies that combine to offer unique benefits to laboratories, both large and small. It offers powerful interference removal for the best detection limits, the highest flexibility regardless of matrix, and efficient analysis, according to the company. It features the lowest maintenance requirements for ICP-MS, effectively compressing workflows. A dynamic range from parts per quadrillion to percent levels and a choice of modes and gases make it possible to analyze the most difficult samples.

800-762-4000; www.perkinelmer.com