Until recently, the quickest method of testing perishable foods for contamination by potentially lethal bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella was to place food samples in high heat in the laboratory until the bacteria could multiply to the point where they became detectable with a microscope—generally about 48 hours. By the time results were known, produce was already on store shelves. Now, thanks to the new Immunofiltration Assay System (IAS) developed by a group of University of New Mexico chemical engineering professors led by Dr. Ebtisam Wilkins, those same results can be had in a matter of 10 to 20 minutes.

The IAS, presently under license for commercial development by BioDetect, Inc., of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a portable detection device the size of a shoe box which employs a flow-through immunosensor. It detects contamination of food via a chemical test, called ELISA, that uses antibodies to detect the bacteria. The antibodies are attached to enzymes that can be quickly detected and counted electronically.

BioDetect hopes to have the product ready for market within two years. The expected asking price: $1,500.

*Please note that as of December 1999, MesoSystems Technology Inc. (www.mesosystem.com), of Richland, Washington, has purchased the rights to the Immunofiltration Assay System technology and is in the process of developing its own product.