BIOLAN has been awarded with the AOAC® Perfomance TestedSM certification by the AOAC Research Institute under license number 051604 for histamine detection in all kinds of fish samples, including raw, cooked, preserved and canned, salted fish.

Maximum permitted histamine levels are set by EU legislation, and have become a key parameter for determining the freshness and quality of fish. Histamine is toxic and leads to symptoms similar to sever allergic reactions.

The histamine quantification method developed by BIOLAN,and now globally recognised,comprises an enzymatic biosensor built into the BIOFISH-300 HIS analyser, a compact analytical device that measures histamine in fishery products in an accurate, easy and fast way. BIOLAN biosensors combine the high specificity and selectivity of specific enzymes with easily detectable and quantifiable amperometric signals.

The certification study conducted by the AOAC Research Institute demonstrates that the BIOFISH-300 HIS biosensor is reliable and comparable to the official benchmark method currently in use(HPLC). The current methods are tedious, require hazardous solvents, high levels of skillsor important investments and are, therefore, applied mainly in specialized laboratories. By contrast the BIOLAN biosensor provides a simple, fast, safety and cost-efficient technique that enables the fish industry to conduct its internalquality controls.

This certification is a further acknowledgement of the track record of BIOLAN, and the best evidence to date of the reliability of the technology developed. It thus strengthens the company’s product portfolio. For BIOLAN this is the first step on the road to extending certification to other food matrices and biosensors for detecting other parameters such us sulphites, lactose and others.

This BIOFISH-300 HIS method has achieved the certification for quantification ranges of 10-200 mg/kg for raw, cooked and preserved fish, and of30-150 mg/kg for canned, salted fish. These ranges are consistent with current legislation.