front line" in the COVID-19 pandemic. 1 But they are not the only facilities at risk. A report released by
shareholder advisor Pirc in September said there had been at least 1,461 SARS-CoV-2 infections and six
deaths linked to the
Factories, retailers and hospitality establishments are favorable environments for transmission.
Workplaces are crowded, social distancing can be challenging, and the virus thrives in lower
temperatures. Crucially, metallic surfaces can retain live viruses for longer than those of other materials. 1
Outbreaks result in staff shortages, factory closures, and lost revenues. They also introduce risk into the
value chain. Studies have shown that in some conditions, the virus can remain viable on common
surfaces, such as that used for food packaging, for up to 28 days. 3
Retailers and producers, then, are increasingly looking for laboratory tests that can help them control the
efficiency of the sanitation processes and barriers procedures - and give them the information they need
to keep their staff safe, their brand untarnished, and their doors open.
The Thermo Scientific SARS-CoV-2 PCR Workflow for food packaging and environmental surfaces is a
complete end-to-end workflow, encompassing sampling, sample preparation, and detection. It can deliver
results in as little as three hours, quickly providing customers with the information they need to manage
any potential surface or packaging contamination risks.
The test, which has been performance tested and validated by
detection of the virus on environmental surfaces, includes three TaqMan RT-PCR assays, to target
SARS-CoV-2 (ORF1ab, N-gene, S-gene) genes, and one positive control assay, targeting the Human
RNase P RPPH1 gene offering both high specificity and sensitivity. Because of the multi-target design of
this assay, overall test sensitivity should not be impacted by the new SARS-CoV-2 strain lineage--B.1.1.7
variant.
Laboratories can be confident on the results because:
o The test targets three different viral genomic regions, ORF1ab, N-gene, S-gene, reducing the
risk of false negatives
o Extensive bioinformatic selection and analysis has been undertaken to specifically target
sequences that are unique to SARS-CoV-2
o The RNase P assay is run in duplex with the combined 2019-nCoV assays as an internal
positive control.
The Thermo Scientific SARS-CoV-2 PCR workflow can be run on the Applied Biosystems 7500 Fast
Real-Time PCR System or the Applied Biosystems QuantStudio 5 Real-Time PCR System which many
food and environmental testing labs are used to working with. Both instruments are also suitable for the
company's complete portfolio of PCR tests for food pathogens and environmental samples, biothreat
organisms, animal species identification and GMO testing.
transmitted when a healthy person touches contaminated food or environmental contact surfaces,
including packaging materials, and then touches their eyes, mouth, or nose. In the current pandemic, food
and beverage companies, retailers, public health authorities and other businesses are seeking solutions
to monitor the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in their environments. This is crucial to protecting key workers,
consumers, and the food industry as a whole.
"As a company that supplies the components for more than 50 percent of COVID-19 diagnostics, we are
uniquely placed to help the sector rise to the challenge of SARS-CoV-2."
1. Middleton, J., Reintjes, R., et al. Meat plants--a new front line in the covid-19 pandemic. (2020).
https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m2716
2. Martin,
http://www.pirc.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/PIRC_sector_food_processing.pdf
3. Riddell, S., Goldie, S., Hill, A. et al. The effect of temperature on persistence of SARS-CoV-2 on
common surfaces. Virol J 17, 145 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-020-01418-7
About
billion. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether
our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, improving
patient diagnostics and therapies or increasing productivity in their laboratories, we are here to support
them. Our global team of more than 75,000 colleagues delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative
technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands,
including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems,
Patheon. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com.
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