NEWARK, Del.–SDIX™, a leading supplier of rapid detection solutions to the $1 billion food pathogen testing market, today announced the publication of a scientific paper entitled “RapidChek® SELECT™ Salmonella Enteritidis Test System for the Detection of Salmonella Enteritidis in Poultry House Drag Swabs, Shell Egg Pools, and Chicken Carcass Rinsates”. The publication was released by the Journal of AOAC International and was authored by Mark Muldoon, PhD, SDIX Senior Scientist, and colleagues.

The article provides detailed performance specifications for the Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) solution, introduced by SDIX in July 2010. SDIX has already received Performance Tested Method certification from the AOAC as well as method equivalency from the FDA for this product. These determinations provide evidence that customers using the SDIX method are compliant with the FDA’s Final Rule, which aims to reduce SE in egg production and the resulting risk of human illness related to this pathogen. The rule became legally effective on July 9, 2010.

The data presented in the AOAC paper demonstrate equivalent performance of the SDIX test with both the standard FDA BAM method for testing egg-pools and the USDA FSIS method for poultry carcass rinsates. Significantly, the results show superior performance of the SDIX method for environmental surveillance in poultry houses, when compared to the FDA BAM method, which is the industry’s standard benchmark. Poultry house environmental surveillance is critical to the integrity of the food safety testing chain for table eggs. In addition to the sensitivity performance of the solution, as with all SDIX RapidChek methods, the SE test is fast, easy to use and less expensive than most alternatives, giving egg producers an avenue to address their testing needs with an economically manageable process.

Tim Lawruk, Food Safety Market Manager at SDIX, commented, “The publication of data for our RapidChek SELECT Salmonella Enteritidis Test System demonstrates the superior performance of the SDIX test over the current gold standard method. This should give food processors, as well as the public, added confidence in the ability to produce safe eggs that meet regulatory requirements. In addition, the SDIX testing solution provides a clear advantage in time-to-results, taking only two days for both drag swabs and eggs, compared to the FDA’s three and seven day methods. As we expand our Food Safety business, SDIX remains committed to providing customers with economic solutions that best fit their business needs.”

About SDIX (www.sdix.com)

SDIX is a biotechnology company with a core expertise in creating better antigens, better antibodies and better assays for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and food safety markets. For over 20 years, SDIX has been a leading immuno-solutions company, developing results-oriented and innovative antibody-based solutions that enable customers to meet high performance research, diagnostic and commercialization objectives.

In the life science market, SDIX’s technology and capabilities are being used to help discover disease mechanisms, facilitate development of new drugs and provide antibodies and assays for the diagnosis of disease. In the food safety market, SDIX continues to expand its footprint as an international supplier of rapid pathogen test technologies that enable more accurate and cost effective results.