Ergot Alkaloids ELISA

Ergot alkaloids are produced by a group of fungi known as the Claviceps species, the most significant being the C. purpurea. These fungi infect the seed heads of plants during the flowering period and produce a wintering body. The fungus replaces the developing grain or seed with the alkaloid wintering body, known as ergot, ergot body or sclerotium.

The sclerotia are harvested together with the cereals or grass, and if not removed before processing, can lead to contamination of cereal-based food and feed products with ergot alkaloids.

Contaminated feed with toxic levels of ergot alkaloids has been found to affect the reproductive cycles of pigs, poultry and cattle, causing animals to terminate pregnancies. They also have been shown to impact upon digestive systems, resulting in under-performance in weight-gain for meat production.

The only commercially available kit compliant with updated Commission Regulation (EU) 2021/1399, Randox Food Diagnostics Ergot Alkaloid ELISA is:

Compliant with the lowest proposed maximum levels mandated by updated Commission Regulation (EU) 2021/1399, applicable from January 1st 2022. This includes the total of 12 main ergot alkaloids for cereal-based feed, rye, wheat, oats, barley and spelt and their milling products.

Accurately detects the sum of 12 main ergot alkaloids to test the most affected type of cereal – rye flour, as well as cereal-based feed, wheat, oats, barley and spelt and their milling products. Randox Ergot Alkaloid ELISA results show an excellent 100% correlation with the assigned concentration within the BIPEA Proficiency Test scheme.

Unrivalled in the detection of low contamination levels. A Z-score of 0.0 for rye flour was obtained using Randox Ergot Alkaloid ELISA in the BIPEA Proficiency Test scheme.

Validated based on Commission Regulation (EC) No 519/2014 as a semi-quantitative screening method for cereal-based feed, rye, wheat, oats, barley, spelt and their milling products. The same regulation was followed for fit-for-purpose approach assessment for confirmatory method, which approves Randox Ergot Alkaloid ELISA as being a method for official control. It is successfully assessed by fit-for-purpose approach according to Commission Regulation (EC) No 401/2006 as approved method of analysis.

Evaluated by a third-party to enable distinguishing between negative and positive samples. Randox’s ELISA displayed no false-negatives and no false-positives. Across all commercially available ELISA tests, Randox Food Diagnostics Ergot Alkaloid ELISA was the only test which showed good performance with cereal-based feed, rye and wheat, including 11 matrices and a total of 24 samples.

Product Number: EA3491