Novel method traces contaminated food

A new tracing method could reduce the time and resources required to identify the source of foodborne illnesses, according to a press release.

Developed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, DNATrax (DNATrek) is an odorless and tasteless substance comprised of sugar and nonliving, nonviable DNA. The product is sprayed onto food at a farm or processing plant, and in the event of contamination its unique genetic code can be traced to the source with a PCR test.

“We all hear horror stories about contaminated foods,” Anthony Zografos, PhD, CEO of DNATrek, said in the press release. “We are not prepared to deal with an outbreak of pathogens such as Escherichia coli and salmonella in tainted foods. However, using DNATrax is a quick and efficient way to stop these foods from sickening more people and costing producers more money due to massive recalls triggered by poor traceability.”

DNATrax has been approved by the FDA as a food additive that is safe for consumption. The substance was originally designed to monitor airflow patterns in buildings. It can be spread as an aerosol to simulate the movements of harmful biological agents.

“This technology provides a safe and cost-effective way to ensure biodetection systems are working as designed,” George Farquar, PhD, of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, said in the press release. “So far, we’ve successfully conducted three tests at the Pentagon. Each test provided valuable information on how to enhance the Pentagon’s biodetection systems.”

In addition, it could potentially be used to assay the effectiveness of personal protective equipment, Farquar said.

Approximately 128,000 Americans are hospitalized annually from contaminated foods, according to the CDC.