USDA Awards Amulet SBIR Grant for Detecting Histamine in Fish
MADISON, Wis. (PRWEB) June 23, 2023 -- Amulet, maker of the world’s smallest, fastest, and portable electrochemical food sensor, announced today the receipt of a USDA Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant for detecting histamine in fish.
“Histamine poisoning is one of the leading causes of food poisoning globally, and we are thrilled to use our sensor platform to tackle broader food safety challenges like food poisoning,” says Amulet CEO, Abigail Barnes.
Demand for fish-based products is steadily on the rise—in 2020, global trade of fishery and aquaculture products generated around $151B. While fish offer a wide range of health benefits, they are also prone to fast decomposition and chemical and microbiological contamination. When fish are improperly processed or stored, bacteria in the fish generates histamine, which causes histamine toxicity when consumed in excess quantities. The symptoms of histamine toxicity mimic those of an allergic reaction, such as flushing, rash, diarrhea, and nausea.
"Despite its importance to food safety, histamine testing in the food industry is often hindered by high costs, long detection times, and the limited portability of existing histamine detection platforms. Amulet sensors are addressing many of these long-standing analytical challenges to direct food detection, while offering the same or superior precision as conventional laboratory technologies,” notes Dr. Bert Popping, Amulet Scientific Advisor and international food safety expert.
Because histamine poisoning symptoms mimic those of an allergic reaction, it’s often underreported. It’s estimated that 38% of all seafood-borne disease outbreaks in the United States are caused by histamine poisoning. Although histamine is formed by bacteria, it is a heat-stable molecule, so it cannot be removed or reduced with cooking, canning, or freezing—which is why identifying its presence pre-consumption is crucial.
“The ability to identify and track food products containing excessive histamine levels will help businesses and manufacturers quickly remove contaminated items from store shelves, restaurants, and storage facilities, saving money, time, and helping keep consumers safe,” adds Barnes.
###
About Amulet
Amulet is the maker of the world’s smallest, fastest, and portable food sensor. The company has two divisions: Amulet Scientific™ equips industry with a detection platform for identifying food toxins and environmental contaminants; Allergy Amulet™ alerts consumers to allergens in their food.
For more information visit http://www.amulet-inc.com.
Meg Nohe, Amulet, Inc, http://www.amulet-inc.com, 1 978-934-3219, [email protected]
Share this article