Jan 6, 2012 9:59 AM

Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: LIFE) has received validation from the certification body of Association Francaise de Normalisation (AFNOR) for its MicroSEQ Listeria spp. and Listeria monocytogenes assays. These are molecular tests designed to quickly and accurately detect the presence or absence of this foodborne pathogen that most recently has been associated with an outbreak in cantaloupes.

AFNOR certification, which validates alternative methods according to the ISO standard EN/ISO 16140 and applicable throughout Europe, enables clients to adopt rapid testing methods with proven performance equivalency standards. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based tests, along with Life Technologies’ full suite of sample preparation systems and instruments, decreases the time to results (for negative samples) to 24 hours instead of four to five days when using the reference method.

Method equivalency findings for both Listeria species and Listeria monocytogenes products, which previously also received AOAC Research Institute validation for use in the United States, mark a milestone for Life Technologies. The company now has both AOAC and AFNOR validation for its top four testing kits, including MicroSEQ Salmonella spp. and MicroSEQ E coli O157:H7. All four validated assays cover 90% of pathogens tested for by the food industry.

Life Technologies has developed accurate and rapid testing systems for a broad range of food products and environmental samples since 2008.

For more information, visit www.lifetechnologies.com.