An Edmonton firm working on a device to allow dairy producers to quickly detect antibiotic residues in milk on-farm will get over $350,000 in federal development funding.
The support for SciMed Technologies is to flow through the federal Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program (CAAP).
The company’s new testing kit “will ensure quality control at all stages of the dairy food supply chain and result in increased quality assurance and enhanced food safety,” the government said in a release.
“Our Immuno-biochip technology will help ensure milk and agri-food products meet the regulatory requirements and label claims for antibiotic content in dairy products,” company president Dr. Rajan Gupta said in the same release.
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The device will allow for both “rapid and simultaneous” detection of multiple antibiotic residues, the government said.
The technology, Gupta said, “will help producers remain competitive while adopting newer technologies with enhanced profitability.”
SciMed’s previous patents include its VitaKit, an immunoassay product to analyze levels of vitamins A and D in fortified dairy foods for quality assurance testing.
CAAP, which is budgeted for $163 million over five years (2009-14) to help the ag sector adapt and improve competitiveness, requires all funded projects’ activities to be completed by the end of March 2014.
