Bio-Rad’s Listeria detection kits pass the gold standard test
Bio-Rad Laboratories has secured MicroVal certification for its EZ-Check™ Listeria spp. and EZ-Check Listeria monocytogenes Kits, adding a second major international validation to PCR-based tools designed to detect one of the food industry’s most persistent pathogens.
The certification by MicroVal, the international body responsible for validating alternative microbiological methods for food and beverage analysis, confirms that both kits perform equivalently to the ISO 11290 reference method under ISO 16140-2 standards. The certificates, numbered 2025LR135 and 2025LR136, are available on the Bio-Rad website.
Why Listeria remains a serious concern
Listeria are gram-positive bacteria found widely in soil, water, and animal-derived products. They are the causative agents of listeriosis, a foodborne illness that poses particular risk to pregnant women, young children, and immunocompromised individuals. Even with robust food safety protocols in place, contamination events continue to occur, with consequences ranging from serious illness to costly product recalls and reputational damage.
Accurate, rapid detection across both food matrices and environmental samples is therefore central to food safety management programmes.
What the EZ-Check kits offer
The EZ-Check Listeria spp. and EZ-Check Listeria monocytogenes Kits are built around a proprietary, patented duplex detection system. Each kit uses multiplex amplification to simultaneously target the pathogen of interest alongside an internal control, providing a built-in check against false-negative results. This dual-channel approach both enhances accuracy and streamlines result interpretation, reducing the risk of operator error during data review.
The kits are designed to integrate into laboratory workflows with minimal complexity, offering a rapid time-to-result that supports the pace of modern food production environments.
Double-validated and field-ready
The MicroVal approval follows earlier AOAC validation of both kits for food and environmental samples, issued under certificate numbers 012604 and 012605 respectively. Together, these certifications position the EZ-Check platform among the more thoroughly validated rapid Listeria detection methods currently available to food safety laboratories.
Franck Edouard, Senior Marketing Director of Bio-Rad’s Food Science Division, commented: “Our EZ-Check Listeria spp. and EZ-Check Listeria monocytogenes Kits offer fast, dependable, accurate detection of these organisms which is essential to maintaining rigorous food safety standards and ensuring the safety of the public. MicroVal approval of both EZ-Check kits, in addition to the previous AOAC validation, further solidifies Bio-Rad’s position as a trusted leader in food safety innovation, delivering effective solutions for pathogen detection in food and environmental samples.”
Bio-Rad Laboratories, headquartered in Hercules, California, reported revenues of $2.6 billion in 2025 and employs approximately 7,400 people globally. Its customer base spans universities, hospitals, biopharmaceutical companies, and food safety laboratories.
- For more information, visit: bio-rad.com/EZCheck
