Technology Solutions for a Safer Global Food Supply

Secure Food Solutions, Inc. (SFS) is developing rapid microbial tests and imaging systems to detect and enumerate dangerous pathogens that threaten food supply chains in the U.S. and around the world.

Rapid Microplate Tests to Replace Traditional Culture Media

SFS has developed a rapid microbial test platform that provides fast, simple, on-site detection and enumeration of dangerous bacteria like Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria, in 15 (± 2) hours, with low limits of detection and no enrichment required (unique formulation for each pathogen test). These three pathogens account for the majority of all multi-state foodborne pathogen outbreaks in the U.S. and pose a serious public health risk to consumers. Salmonella alone is the leading cause of bacteria-related foodborne illness in the U.S., with over 1 M cases per year.

SFS tests provide a faster, simpler and more affordable diagnostic tool than existing culture media used for environmental monitoring of pathogen levels from farm to processor. With these tests farms, mills, food processors and industrial sanitation service providers can quickly and effectively respond to pathogen risks across supply chains, strengthen HACCP programs and reduce the public health risk of foodborne pathogen illnesses and outbreaks.

Mini Aflatoxin Sorter to Remove Dangerous Carcinogen from Food Supply

As part of its social impact efforts SFS is also developing a simple and affordable UV-based imaging device for farm families in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) to screen household lots of maize and remove kernels contaminated with aflatoxin, a dangerous fungal carcinogen from toxigenic mold species of Aspergillus. Contamination in maize, peanuts and cassava – staple food crops across SSA - is a serious food safety and public health risk.

Aflatoxin has been linked to up to 35% of childhood stunting (a critical malnutrition indicator) in SSA. Aflatoxin exposure in mothers during pregnancy has shown a strong effect on growth of the infant in the first year of life. Studies suggest that dietary aflatoxin exposure in SSA may be linked to up to 22 M cases of childhood stunting and 440,000 deaths of children under 5 each year (15% of total child mortality), and about $22 B per year in lost future GDP.

There is no cheap and easy way for small-scale farm households in SSA to remove maize kernels contaminated with aflatoxin, putting millions of families and their children in the grave predicament every day of having to choose between hunger and consumption of contaminated and dangerous grain.