Paradigm Diagnostics develops and markets novel diagnostic screening tests for bacterial pathogens causing foodborne illness. The company currently markets two environmental screening tests for detection of Listeria and Salmonella in the food-processing environment. The new method for analysis of ground beef offers analysts greater ease of use, lower cost, and fewer steps to simultaneously detect and isolate bacterial pathogens, E.coli and Salmonella, than the current USDA method.

The new method is significant since the USDA mandates that all ground beef and beef trim produced in the United States be continuously screened for the presence of pathogenic E.coli and Salmonella in an effort to enhance the food safety of meat produced domestically. This method is compatible with modern genetic methods used in large laboratories. Significantly, the method allows smaller laboratories to conduct these analyses since the method conforms to traditional cultural methods used in microbiology. The company is investigating the applicability of the new analytical method to monitoring the food safety of produce, fruit and grains.