VICAM Introduces Vertu Lateral Flow Reader

MILFORD, Mass., April 13, 2010 - VICAM, a Waters Business (NYSE: WAT), today launched Vertu^TM, a digital lateral flow technology for fast, easy, quantitative mycotoxin screening.  The Vertu reader provides more accessible mycotoxin testing to food and agriculture producers worldwide who rely on early detection to protect humans and animals from potentially lethal effects of contamination.

"The new Vertu system for mycotoxin testing will give our customers even greater speed and simplicity while continuing to provide the accuracy and reliability that are the hallmarks of VICAM products," said Dr. Stephen Powers, Director of Research & Development for VICAM. 

"Regulatory levels set by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Union (EU) and other international regulatory bodies require that mycotoxin testing be performed at nearly every point of a product's handling and processing," said Marjorie Radlo, General Manager, Director of Operations, for VICAM. "Regardless if a given agricultural product needs to be tested in the field, in storage or in a quality assurance laboratory, the Vertu reader provides manufacturers with confidence that their product is within targeted Mycotoxin testing limits".

Mycotoxins are naturally occurring chemical byproducts of ubiquitous mold species which originate in the soil of crop fields.  Severe rain and drought encourage mycotoxin production, once released, mycotoxins are difficult to manage and virtually impossible to destroy.  VICAM offers detection systems for single and multiple mycotoxin quantification both on site and in-laboratory screening.  The USDA, FDA, EU and other international regulatory standards impose specific guidelines for acceptable levels for various mycotoxins, such as aflatoxins, deoxynivalenol (DON), ochratoxin A, fumonisin, zearalenone and T2/HT2.  Producers and exporters use onsite testing to ensure regulatory compliance and to protect human and animal health. 

No special training or expertise is required to operate VICAM's Vertu lateral flow reader.  Operators obtain results in part-per-billion (ppb) or part-per-million (ppm) in minutes, providing critical data for the management and control of mycotoxins in grains and peanut products.

The Vertu technology enhances VICAM's portfolio of single-use food safety tests designed to detect contaminants in ppb and meet the increasingly stringent regulatory and economic challenges confronting today's global food chain.  With a comprehensive product line evaluated and trusted by industry leaders in more than 100 countries, VICAM is the leader in rapid mycotoxin test solutions.