Quantifies All Okadaic Acid Toxins and Their Associated Toxicity
Zeulab’s Okatest is a groundbreaking supplementary test designed to accurately quantify okadaic acid toxins and their associated toxicity. It complements the reference method for okadaic acid toxin quantification, providing a reliable and efficient way to ensure the safety and quality of molluscs.
How Does Okatest Help You?
Optimal Harvesting Decisions: Okatest empowers you to select the best areas and times for mollusc harvesting, preventing the extraction of contaminated molluscs from regions near those closed due to the presence of these toxins. By doing so, it helps you maintain the highest standards of safety and quality.
Effective Shelf-Control: Performing shelf-control with Okatest before harvesting or as end-product testing ensures that your molluscs are fit for consumption. This proactive approach helps avoid unnecessary processing of contaminated products, saving time and resources.
Rapid Results: Okatest allows you to deliver results on the same day, processing up to 43 samples in about 3 hours. This speed is crucial for timely decision-making, allowing you to combine Okatest with the reference method for comprehensive results on the whole group of lipophilic toxins in less time. Additionally, it aids in monitoring areas closed by okadaic acid, ensuring they are safe for reopening.
Test Principle
Okatest is based on the inhibition of serine/threonine protein phosphatases (PP1 & PP2A) activity by okadaic acid toxins, which are responsible for diarrheic shellfish poisoning (DSP). The phosphatase enzyme PP2A hydrolyzes a specific substrate, yielding a product detectable at 405 nm. The presence of okadaic acid toxins in the sample inhibits this enzyme activity proportionally to the toxin concentration, allowing for accurate quantification.
Technical Data
- Working Range: 63 – 352 μg OA equivalents/Kg.
- Assay Time: 1 hour extraction plus two steps of 20 and 30 minutes.
- Presentation: Available in 96 and 48-well microtiter plates, allowing a total of 43 samples.
- Equipment Required: Microtiter plate reader at 405 nm.
Validations
Intralaboratory Validation: Smienk et al. (2012) conducted a single laboratory validation of the ready-to-use phosphatase inhibition assay for detecting okadaic acid toxins, published in Toxins.
Inter-laboratory Validation: A comprehensive study involving 16 laboratories from 11 countries validated the method. This study, published by Smienk et al. (2013) in the Journal of AOAC International, demonstrated the quantitative determination of okadaic acid toxins through a colorimetric phosphatase inhibition assay.
Participation in Interlaboratory Studies: Okatest has been part of Quasimeme laboratory performance studies from 2012 to 2015, further establishing its reliability and accuracy.
Legislation Compliance
Okatest complies with the following European regulations, ensuring it meets the highest standards of food safety and hygiene:
- Regulation (EC) No 853/2004: Lays down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin.
- Commission Regulation (EC) No 2074/2005: Implements measures for certain products under Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 and organizes official controls under Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 and Regulation (EC) No 882/2004, amending Regulations (EC) No 853/2004 and (EC) No 854/2004.
- Commission Regulation (EU) No 15/2011: Amends Regulation (EC) No 2074/2005 regarding recognized testing methods for detecting marine biotoxins in live bivalve molluscs.
Zeulab’s Okatest is an invaluable tool for ensuring the safety and quality of molluscs. Its rapid, accurate quantification of okadaic acid toxins helps you make informed decisions about harvesting and processing, ensuring your products are safe for consumption and compliant with stringent regulations. Embrace Okatest for efficient, reliable toxin detection and take a proactive approach to food safety.
