Food safety testing is important for people's health and safety, and the country also attaches great importance to this aspect. Of course, there are various ways to test food safety. Today, we will introduce the colloidal gold immunoassay paper produced by colloidal gold reagent card equipment, which is one of the representatives of biological testing technology. Let's take a look at how colloidal gold reagent card equipment assists in biological testing.
With the development of the country, China's food safety inspection and testing system has also been greatly improved. In order to ensure the food safety of the Chinese people, a number of qualified food inspection and testing institutions have been established in terms of supervision. How do food inspection institutions do this?
High precision and strong targeting
Food safety has always been a public concern, and at the same time, the contamination of food by microorganisms has also attracted people's attention. Microorganisms may contaminate food during production, transportation, sales, and other processes. Once contaminated, they will multiply in large numbers, leading to food spoilage and deterioration, foodborne contamination, and food poisoning. To prevent the occurrence of such poisoning incidents, adopting appropriate and effective food microbiological testing methods is an important means to avoid and prevent microbial foodborne contamination. Traditional detection methods are complex, time-consuming, and labor-intensive. Therefore, people have begun to study new methods for food microbiological detection and search for new carriers for microbiological detection.
Food microbiological detection technology refers to the use of relevant detection methods to detect various microorganisms in food, in order to identify and analyze the quantity and types of microorganisms in food, identify harmful microorganisms to the human body, and ensure that food does not harm human health.
With the development of biotechnology and microelectronics, accurate, rapid, and specific food microbiological detection technology is increasingly valued by scientists around the world. Due to the fact that most food comes from natural organisms such as animals and plants, they naturally have the ability to distinguish substances and respond. Biological detection is different from traditional physical and chemical reactions. This is a detection method that utilizes biological reactions. Not only convenient and fast, but also more accurate and targeted.
The chief expert of the Fruit and Vegetable Product Safety and Health Innovation Team at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and a researcher at the Institute of Agricultural Product Quality, Safety, and Nutrition, introduced that biological detection technology is a big family. At present, rapid microbial detection methods applied in the food industry include molecular biology technology, immunological technology, metabolic technology, biosensors, omics fingerprinting technology, etc. Colloidal gold immunoassay paper is a typical representative of biological detection technology.
The rapid detection of colloidal gold adopts the principle of immunochromatography. Fix specific antigens or antibodies in strips onto the membrane, and adsorb colloidal gold labeling reagents (antibodies or monoclonal antibodies) onto the binding pad.When the test sample is added to the sample pad at one end of the test strip, it moves forward through capillary action, dissolves the colloidal gold labeling reagent on the binding pad, reacts with each other, and then moves to the fixed antigen or antibody area. The binding complex between the test substance and the gold standard reagent specifically binds to it, is intercepted and collected on the detection strip, and the color development result can be observed by naked eye.
Rapid detection of pesticide residues
Modern agricultural production inevitably uses various pesticides, and vegetables have high planting density, short growth cycle, and relatively high pesticide residues after use. Excessive agricultural residues not only endanger people's health, but also cause serious consequences such as sales obstruction, losses, and even illegal activities。
Since 2019, the research team has conducted surveys, statistics, and big data analysis on pesticide use in a province in China over the past five years. Nearly 20 high-risk pesticide varieties have been selected, and colloidal gold immunoassay test strips have been developed using small molecule immune antibody technology for pesticide residue monitoring. This is the first large-scale application of colloidal gold immunoassay strips in China to detect pesticide residues on production lines.
This is our developed colloidal gold immunoassay test strip. Its working principle for detecting pesticide residues is the same as pregnancy test strips, and it is easy to use. Vegetable growers can quickly detect whether vegetable pesticides exceed the standard when purchasing vegetables at home, "said the researcher.
The researcher also introduced that immune antibody technology is a detection technology based on the principle of mammalian immune system response. The immune system will produce immune responses and immune memories against antigens in vivo or in vitro, allowing pathogens containing these antigens to be "remembered" by the immune system. When antigens and antibodies meet again, they will bind, and this binding is specific. Therefore, this detection method is sensitive and accurate, and it is also the most widely used technique in related measurement methods.
According to our research, ordinary farmers usually use no more than 10 types of pesticides, while large farmers use more single and controllable pesticides. We have developed a test strip that can detect four types of pesticides. Before vegetables are launched, farmers can check whether pesticide residues in their homes exceed the standard, and regulate planting and determine drug use based on the test results. Agriculture, market supervision, and health and epidemic prevention departments can also use test strips for rapid testing.
Finally, in addition to producing colloidal gold immunoassay strips through colloidal gold reagent card equipment for biological testing, people should also pay attention to food safety issues in their daily lives.
