Combating food fraud: Thermo Fisher Scientific’s next-generation sequencing promises speedy food authenticity

13 Nov 2018 --- US biotechnology product development giant Thermo Fisher Scientific has introduced a next-generation sequencing (NGS) workflow for multi-species screening and identification which aims to improve food authenticity and tackle food fraud. This closely follows Oxoid Ltd., which is part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, and SGS Molecular S.A. signing a global co-marketing and distribution agreement.

The move allows Thermo Fisher Scientific to exclusively sell SGS All Species ID DNA Analyser Kits and SGS All Species ID Software as part of what the company describes as the “end-to-end workflow to the food and beverage market on Thermo Fisher Scientific NGS platforms.”

The NGS Workflow allows an untargeted screening approach, consisting of five steps, to suit the varying needs of food and beverage analysis. Thermo Fisher Scientific says it’s designed to work seamlessly with the Ion Chef Food Protection Instrument for automated template preparation and the Ion GeneStudio S5 Food Protection Sequencing System for fast run times and minimal handling steps. 

Two chip formats and universal SGS Analyser kits also enable multiple library pools across meat, plant and fish species to be sequenced in a single run. This helps to reduce the time and cost of sequencing experiments. 

Automated data analysis with the SGS All Species ID Software and curated database results are displayed as a list of any specific meat, plant and fish species present in the sample in less than 24 hours.

"The growing need to access untargeted genetic information from complex and fragmented DNA samples spurred the development of the Thermo Scientific Food Authenticity NGS System," says Bernd Hoffman, Thermo Fisher Scientific Vice President of Marketing.

"This complete workflow makes NGS analysis more accessible for the routine food testing laboratory and can help businesses combat food fraud more effectively. It truly aligns with our mission to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer."

The Thermo Scientific NGS Food Authenticity workflow is:
Simple: Ready-to-use kits provide all necessary reagents.
Rapid: Sample to results in under 24 hours for quick decisions.
Flexible: Analyze multiple food or ingredient samples together.
Supported: The company’s technical team assists through evaluation, training and day-to-day testing.

FoodIngredientsFirst has reached out to Thermo Fisher Scientific for more information on how this new system can help businesses tackle food fraud.