Can Temperature Impact My Test Results?
It’s no surprise that temperature impacts the occurrence of mycotoxins in your crops, feeds, and food products. Some toxin-producing molds thrive in cooler environments while others favor hot, humid conditions.
Severe climate changes, such as droughts and storms, can also damage crops and open the door to mold infestation, and ultimately, mycotoxins.
But what about during testing? Does temperature matter then? The short answer is yes, temperature can impact mycotoxin testing—there is some leeway, though.
From a smallholder peanut farm in Tanzania to an export lab equipped with high-end instrumentation, worldwide testing can take place in diverse environments. The further away you get from a controlled lab environment, however, the more conditions can vary at the time of testing.
Rapid tests, such as lateral flow strip tests, should be rugged enough to withstand a range of temperatures, and validated methods should take into account temperature fluctuations.
For this reason, VICAM's Vertu TOUCH reader has a special feature called a Vertu Sensor, which is capable of monitoring surrounding temperatures at the point of testing and enabling a more rugged and consistent method compared to other approaches.
“The Vertu TOUCH reader with Vt Sensor is a unique way to handle the uncertainty associated with temperature during testing,” says John Davenport, senior research and development scientist at VICAM. “By using algorithms to predict how temperature will impact the result, we are now able to correct for that change in real time. This enables us to develop test kits and procedures that are robust enough to withstand the unpredictability of temperature at the time of testing.”
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