Hygeina Introduces Norovirus Detection Kit to Boost Food Safety

Food safety remains a critical public health concern, with norovirus posing particular challenges during winter months. The highly contagious pathogen, known for its multiple transmission routes, has prompted urgent demand for rapid and accurate detection methods in food and water supplies.

Hygiena has recently launched its foodproof® Norovirus (GI, GII) Detection Kit, providing food safety laboratories with an efficient and reliable solution. The kit utilizes one-step real-time RT-PCR technology to quickly identify and differentiate between norovirus genogroups I and II (GI, GII) in food, water, and stool samples.

Advanced Detection Capabilities

The detection kit demonstrates exceptional sensitivity, capable of identifying as few as three viral copies per reaction. Its dual-genome detection capability, combined with built-in process controls, ensures both accuracy and reliability. Designed to meet ISO/TS 15216 standards, the kit features premixed reagents and controls for simplified operation and improved efficiency.

Food safety laboratories can employ this validated solution to test various matrices including shellfish, meat preparations, and soft fruits—foods particularly vulnerable to norovirus contamination where rapid detection proves crucial for outbreak prevention.

The foodproof® workflow achieves highly reliable results through three systematic steps: enrichment, optimized DNA extraction (tailored to sample type and throughput requirements), and real-time PCR detection. This standardized process ensures exceptional accuracy through high-purity DNA extracts, making it ideal for challenging food matrices.

Norovirus: The Invisible Threat to Food Safety

As a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis, norovirus spreads easily through contaminated food, water, surfaces, or person-to-person contact. Infection typically causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, significantly impacting health and quality of life. The virus poses particular risk in crowded environments like schools and nursing homes, where outbreaks frequently occur.

Food serves as a major transmission vehicle, with shellfish, raw vegetables, and fruits especially susceptible to contamination during production, processing, transportation, and sale. Consumption of contaminated items can lead to widespread illness.

Key Advantages of the Detection Kit

• High sensitivity: Detects extremely low viral concentrations to identify potential contamination risks
• Exceptional specificity: Accurately differentiates between norovirus genogroups, eliminating false positives
• Operational efficiency: One-step real-time RT-PCR technology significantly reduces processing time
• User-friendly design: Premixed reagents minimize human error and simplify laboratory procedures
• Standardized protocol: ISO/TS 15216 compliance ensures reproducible, reliable results

Broad Application Potential

• Food production: Screening raw materials, intermediate products, and finished goods for safety compliance
• Food service: Monitoring food, water, and utensils to prevent norovirus incidents
• Regulatory oversight: Supporting food market and restaurant inspections to identify safety concerns
• Public health: Diagnosing suspected cases and investigating outbreaks
• Water management: Ensuring drinking water safety through source and distribution system monitoring

Standardized Workflow Ensures Reliability

Enrichment increases viral concentration to enhance detection sensitivity. DNA extraction removes impurities, yielding high-purity samples for accurate PCR analysis. The final real-time PCR stage rapidly identifies and distinguishes between norovirus genogroups.

Commitment to Food Safety Innovation

As a global leader in food safety solutions, Hygiena continues to develop innovative testing products for food production, service industries, and regulatory bodies. The company's portfolio spans microbial detection, allergen testing, and ATP hygiene monitoring across food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic sectors.

The introduction of the foodproof® Norovirus Detection Kit reinforces Hygiena's position at the forefront of food safety technology. With growing public awareness of food safety issues, the company remains committed to advancing detection methods through continued research and development.