Randox Food Diagnostics and Swiss Quality Testing Services (SQTS) are using the latest technology to yield the best in quality and safety analysis.
SQTS has established itself as the most comprehensive laboratory service in Switzerland, offering drug residue testing as one element of its extensive portfolio.
Based in Courtepin, SQTS has been collaborating with Randox and trialling its pioneering biochip array technology (BAT).
By deploying BAT in the detection of veterinary medicine residues, such as sulphonamides, aminoglycoside, chloramphenicol, penicillin, streptomycin and tetracycline, SQTS remains an expert in food safety.
The company works across a wide range of markets, including meat, fish, eggs, milk, honey and associated products.
Due to the performance of BAT within these matrices, SQTS has moved away from its previously used CHARM methods in favour of the Randox’ biochip.
Biochip array technology
Randox biochip array technology is based on a competitive immunoassay, which allows greater accuracy and specific determination of antibiotic residues in the minor trace range (ppb resp micrograms/kg).
The Randox evidence investigator, a benchtop quantitative analyser with BAT technology, has been used across various food industries, with methods validated for foodstuffs and various matrices.
During the past year, the BAT method has undergone further independent practicability tests at SQTS labs for several food groups.
A key outcome observed by SQTS while using Randox’s method was that the results did not produce false positives.
By choosing Randox technology, SQTS can make a quantitative estimation of the amount of residue of the antibiotics in question.
SQTS no longer experiences positive results below the European standard threshold value, which means the number of confirmatory tests required has dramatically decreased, significantly reducing costs and saving time and resources.
With these benefits, SQTS concluded that Randox’s biochip array technology offers a better alternative to the CHARM screening method.
The main advantages of Randox compared with CHARM as highlighted by SQTS are:
- Quantitative results do not require a systematic LC-MS confirmation
- No additional charges and no more time delay caused by detecting positive results below the threshold value
- Detection limit set according to the European standards
- No more false positive results
A premium solution for drug residue screening
SQTS has decided to use Randox testing methods that offer a premium solution for drug residue screening. Key factors influencing this decision are the reduced cost of confirmatory testing for positive values and absence of false positives.
Approval from one of Europe’s leading laboratories further evidences that biochip array technology is revolutionising drug residue analysis globally.
