Food Pathogen Testing

Count on Anatek for easy, responsive food pathogen testing. Just drop off your samples at our lab in Spokane, we’ll test within 24 hours, and you’ll have your results within two business days. No need to package and ship anywhere else. (If you’re in Wenatchee, the Tri-Cities, or North Idaho, we can even arrange courier service to pick up your samples.)

Why We’re Better:

• Other regional labs use PCR testing. We use superior MDA testing. PCR testing may be affected by “interfering materials” often found in food and surface samples. Our 3M MDA 2 instrumentation relies on loop-mediated isothermal amplification with bioluminescence. Translation? Better sensitivity and specificity for pathogens, less sample interference, and more accurate results.
• Our staff is highly trained and experienced. We have chemists, microbiologists, biochemists and biologists with years of experience, ready to accurately test and interpret your results.
• We test for a variety of pathogens. We can identify Listeria ssp. (including monocytogenes), Salmonella ssp. and Escherichia coli 0157:H7.
• We test a variety of samples. We can sample any food or produce products, as well as swabs/sponges used to sample processing surfaces.

Pathogen Testing:

• The primary goal of food pathogen testing is the prevention of disease outbreaks among consumers.
• Anatek Labs tests for Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli 0157:H7.
• Pathogen testing is required by certain distributors, such as Costco.

Our Testing Process:

• The 3M MDA 2 instrument uses loop mediated isothermal amplification to rapidly amplify nucleic acid sequences combined with bioluminescence for high specificity and sensitivity.
• The MDA 2 instrument provides higher sensitivity and ability to amplify target DNA in the presence of interfering substances often found in food/environmental samples. MDA uses a robust Bst polymerase that is more resistant to inhibitors than PCR’s Taq polymerase. MDA uses bioluminescent detection, which is more resistant to sample interference. PCR uses fluorescence that may be affected by enrichment media.
• MDA technology provides faster and more accurate results than traditional instrumentation.
• Identifies Listeria ssp. including monocytogenes, Salmonella ssp., and Escherichia coli 0157:H7.

Sampling Information:

• Samples: Any food or produce products, and swabs/sponges used to sample processing surfaces.
• Holding Time: analysis of samples must begin within 24 hrs of sampling.
• Turn-Around Time: Data is available 2 business days after reception of the sample.
• Weekly Courier service is possible to Tri-cities, Wenatchee, and North Idaho (Call 509-838-3999 for more information, or email us.)

Anatek Labs, Inc. is ISO 17025-certified through ANAB, the ANSI National Accreditation Board, for the analysis of food pathogens.  Click here to view our certification.

ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is the highest level of certification available for pathogen testing.