Michigan State University researchers say they’ve created new technology that can cut food and water safety testing time from days to just hours.
The team is developing magnetic particles that latch onto bacteria in food and water so they can be quickly identified. It’s considered a breakthrough for Michigan, which has more than 14,000 contaminated water sites still awaiting cleanup.
MSU engineering professor Evangelyn Alocilja led the research. She says instead of sending water samples to a lab, new tests can be performed on site.
“It’s a game changer because now you can make decisions as to whether the food is safe to process or safe to eat, safe to send to the market, or water is safe to drink,” Alocilja said.
Alocilja says the new tests can detect bacteria like salmonella or E. coli in as little as two to four hours, giving communities a chance to act fast before people get sick. She says this advanced testing method helps researchers get to the root of what’s causing the contamination.
“Now we can closely monitor human, animal, plant, soil, environmental bacteria coming to the system and how it is being processed.”
Researchers note the portable tests are inexpensive, costing less than $2 per sample. They believe they could be especially valuable in health clinics and emergency rooms, where speed is critical.
