SBIR Phase II: Rapid Detection of Pathogens in Manufacturing Trimmings

Pathotrak Inc., Wilmington DE

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impact of this SBIR Phase II project will be a reduction in the time for food safety laboratories to test meat for human consumption. The project seeks to reduce food waste and food-borne illnesses resulting from contaminated meat, as well to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) produced as a result of refrigeration and storage of spoiled meat products. This project aims to develop a technology ready for accreditation and commercialization that will detect harmful bacteria in meat products. This project may allow for the implementation of food safety monitoring tests at a lower cost. It may create an improvement in food safety, saving billions of dollars in recalls and reducing holding costs of food production. The ability to get ground beef to retailers’ shelves a day earlier can reduce food waste in ground beef by 50%. As beef is energy-intensive to produce, this waste reduction could save trillions of gallons of water and prevent the release of billions of pounds of methane and greenhouse gases every year. The US total addressable market for pathogen testing is estimated at nearly $10 billion, with a compound annual growth rate of 6%. This project aims to reduce the time it takes for food safety laboratories to test beef trimmings for pathogenic bacteria. The objective for this research and development Phase II project is to streamline the rapid pathogen enrichment technology developed in Phase I and to integrate new instrumentation and tools to create a high-throughput laboratory setting. The mechanical microfiltration methods and incubation procedures will be optimized, enzymatic treatments will be explored further, and the ease of physical operation and consistency of the method will be streamlined for commercial use. A low-cost, Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) accredited process capable of reliably detecting 1 colony forming unit (CFU) of pathogenic bacteria in 375 g of trim within 6 hours will be created - saving 12 or more hours over current state-of-the-art methods. Once accredited, the enrichment technology may be sold to high-throughput meat producers, who need results within a single 8-hour shift to streamline logistics, reducing cold storage, and lessening food pathogen outbreak risks. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.