Part of the TAAG technology pillar. If you first want to understand the difference between lines, read Ampliora, Elevia and Specio.
Table of contents
Start with the decision, not the catalog
The TAAG kit catalog brings together dozens of products in three lines: Ampliora, Elevia and Specio. Faced with that list, the temptation is to look for the name of the pathogen and choose the first kit that mentions it. It is a shortcut that often fails, because a kit is not defined only by what it detects, but also by where it is validated to detect it and how long it takes to give a result.
This guide proposes organizing the choice around three questions and then shows, industry by industry, which kits in the published catalog correspond to each case. All the information about kits comes from the TAAG catalog and from taag.bio; it does not replace the technical data sheet of each product or a conversation with the technical team.
Question 1: what type of microorganism are you looking for?
The catalog groups the kits into three assay types, which respond to different objectives of the quality program:
- Pathogens: Salmonella, Listeria, E. coli and STEC, Staphylococcus aureus or Vibrio. These are the ones that define whether a product is safe.
- Spoilage: yeasts, molds and bacteria that alter beverages, juices, beer or wine. They do not make the consumer ill, but they generate returns and losses.
- Indicators: the WaterScan panels for water, which look for groups such as E. coli, Citrobacter, Klebsiella, Enterococcus and Enterobacter.
Within each type there are simplex kits (one target) and multiplex kits (several targets in the same reaction). A multiplex kit makes sense when your sampling plan already requires looking for those microorganisms together in the same sample; if you only need one, the simplex kit is usually enough.
Question 2: in which matrix?
This is the most underestimated question. Each kit declares the matrices for which it was developed or validated, and those matrices can be very specific or fairly general:
- Specific: Elevia 1.1 Salmonella spp. lists hazelnut-type and milk-type filled chocolates, chocolate bar with peanuts, hazelnut and cocoa cream, whole muscle meat, ground beef (90% lean), animal feed pellets, pasteurized liquid eggs and stainless steel surfaces. Ampliora 3.10 lists shrimp with and without shell.
- General: many Specio kits, such as Specio 1.1 Salmonella spp. or Specio 2.3 Listeria spp. and L. monocytogenes, describe their scope as "food, beverages and living and inert surfaces".
A general description is not equivalent to a validation on your product. Before using a result to release a batch, the laboratory has to confirm in the kit's technical documentation whether its matrix is covered and, in any case, verify the method under its own conditions. ISO 16140-3 organizes that verification into two stages: an implementation verification, which demonstrates that the laboratory performs the method correctly with one item, and an item verification, carried out with "challenging" foods from the categories the laboratory actually analyzes. We explain it in detail in validation and verification of methods.
AOAC certification is a particular case of the same principle. According to the catalog, three kits have it: Elevia 1.1 Salmonella spp. (license extension No. 072601), Ampliora 3.9 (license extension No. 032501) and Specio 4.1 (license extension No. 072101). Each certification covers the matrices evaluated in that study, as we explain in what AOAC-PTM certification is.
Question 3: when do you need to decide?
The third question separates the lines by chemistry, as detailed in Ampliora, Elevia and Specio. The taag.bio product explorer publishes approximate full-workflow times per kit, for example:
- Ampliora kits with enrichment, such as Ampliora 1.1 Salmonella spp., Ampliora 1.3 E. coli or Ampliora 2.8: about 26.5 hours.
- WaterScan panels (3.11, 3.12 and 6.1): about 17.8 hours.
- Elevia kits, built on the AiGOR™ RNA technology: about 2.3 hours for Elevia 1.1, 5.3 hours for Elevia 2.9 and 6.4 hours for Elevia 2.8.
The AiGOR page specifies that times depend on the sample type: from 3 hours in environmental samples and 7 to 9 hours for most finished product matrices. If the result feeds a decision that can wait until the next day, such as routine control of an indicator, the workflow with enrichment is sufficient. If the decision is to restart a line after cleaning or to release a batch in the same shift, time becomes a selection criterion.
Guide by industry
The examples that follow cross the industries and matrices declared in the TAAG catalog. They are neither exhaustive lists nor usage recommendations: they are a starting point for reviewing each kit's data sheet.
Meat and poultry
- Raw meat and sausages: Ampliora 1.1 Salmonella spp. declares raw chicken, frozen beef burger, longaniza sausage, mortadella and surfaces.
- Ground meat and STEC: Ampliora 3.9 (F39) looks for STEC, E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp. in ground beef and leafy greens, with AOAC certification. Specio 2.4 covers E. coli and E. coli O157:H7 in meat, dairy and prepared foods.
- Deli meats and cured meats: Ampliora 3.2 and Specio 3.2 combine Salmonella spp., L. monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7; Ampliora 3.5 combines Salmonella spp., L. monocytogenes and Listeria spp. Elevia 2.8 declares processed meat products in addition to stainless steel surfaces.
The risk context of this industry is developed in microbiology in the meat industry.
Dairy
- Ampliora 3.2, Ampliora 3.5 and Specio 3.2 include dairy among their matrices.
- Specio 4.1, which combines Salmonella spp., L. monocytogenes, E. coli and S. aureus, is AOAC certified with pasteurized liquid milk 2% fat among its matrices.
- Elevia 1.1 includes skim milk powder, a low-moisture food, in its AOAC certification scope.
- For spoilage, Specio 00.1 Bacteria (more than 80 bacteria) and Specio 00.2 Yeast & Molds (more than 50 yeasts and molds) list natural, skim, fortified and chocolate milk, and cream.
Confectionery and low-moisture foods
Elevia 1.1 Salmonella spp. is the catalog kit with matrices from this group: TAAG validated it in hazelnut-type and milk-type filled chocolates, chocolate bar with peanuts and hazelnut and cocoa cream, and its AOAC certification covers chocolate 62% cocoa, cocoa liquor, skim milk powder and peanuts. Other nuts do not appear on either list. The reason why Salmonella is the key pathogen in these matrices is explained in Salmonella in low-moisture foods.
Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Ampliora 1.3 E. coli: leafy green vegetables and surfaces.
- Ampliora 3.9 (F39): cabbage, lettuce, spinach and mixed leafy greens.
- Specio 4.1: lettuce, among its certified matrices.
- Frozen vegetables: Ampliora 3.5 and Specio 1.8 Listeria spp.
Beverages and juices
- Low-pH beverages: Ampliora 4.7 looks for acidophilic bacteria, Brettanomyces, preservative-resistant yeasts and spoilage yeasts and molds in bottled and flavored water, isotonic and carbonated beverages, juices, fruit concentrate and ready-to-drink tea.
- Fruit concentrates: Ampliora 2.10 detects Alicyclobacillus and guaiacol-producing genes; Ampliora 3.13 adds Zygosaccharomyces spp.
- Zygosaccharomyces: Specio 1.7 detects Z. bailii and Z. parabailii in beverages, pulps and surfaces.
- Unidentified spoilage: Specio 00.1 and 00.2, with cola beverage, carbonated and non-carbonated water, orange juice and fruit puree among their matrices.
Why spoilage often weighs more than pathogens in beverages is covered in microbiology in beverages.
Brewing and wine
- Yeasts in beer: Ampliora 4.3 (Zygosaccharomyces and Saccharomyces), Ampliora 4.4 (Brettanomyces, Pichia and S. cerevisiae var. diastaticus) and Ampliora 8.1 Yeast Plus, which brings together the targets of both.
- Bacteria in beer: Ampliora 4.5 (Lactobacillus and Pediococcus group), Ampliora 4.6 (Pectinatus, Megasphaera and other lactobacilli) and Ampliora 8.2 Bacteria Plus, which brings together those of both.
- Wine: Ampliora 3.15 detects the Zygosaccharomyces group, Saccharomyces spp. and S. cerevisiae in wine and surfaces.
Fishing and aquaculture
Ampliora 3.10 detects Vibrio cholerae, V. vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus in shrimp with and without shell.
Water
Ampliora 3.11 WaterScan (E. coli, Citrobacter and Klebsiella), Ampliora 3.12 WaterScan (Enterococcus, Enterobacter and Escherichia) and Ampliora 6.1 WaterScan Plus, which combines the six groups. What each indicator reveals is explained in coliforms, E. coli and enterococci in water.
Surfaces and environmental monitoring
Several kits declare surfaces. In the Elevia line, Elevia 1.1 (Salmonella spp.), Elevia 2.8 (Salmonella spp. and Listeria spp.) and Elevia 2.9 (Salmonella spp. and Enterobacteriaceae) declare stainless steel surfaces, and according to taag.bio the Elevia 2.8 and 2.9 protocol accepts swabs and sponges taken before or after sanitization. The logic of monitoring Enterobacteriaceae and Salmonella together after cleaning is in this article.
The kit is one part of the workflow
The taag.bio product explorer does not only list PCR kits: it also includes extraction kits, culture media, medium supplements and sampling kits, and allows filtering by industry, product type and microorganism. Choosing a detection kit without reviewing how the sample is taken, how it is prepared and how the genetic material is extracted leaves out stages that weigh as much as the detection chemistry.
At the other end, TxA interprets the results of the kits of all three lines and, according to taag.bio, connects digital sampling in the plant, laboratory results and reports on a single platform. If the laboratory processes many samples, the way results are recorded and read is also part of the decision.
Common mistakes when choosing
- Choosing only by the name of the microorganism, without reviewing the matrix or the response time.
- Assuming that "food" includes your product without reviewing the technical documentation or verifying the method in your laboratory.
- Choosing a multiplex just in case, when the sampling plan only requires one target.
- Forgetting confirmation. A screening positive follows a path until it becomes a confirmed result, as we explain in presumptive vs. confirmed result.
Conclusion
Choosing a TAAG kit means answering three questions in order: what type of microorganism you are looking for (pathogen, spoilage or indicator), in which matrix the kit is validated and how soon you need the decision. The catalog covers everything from meat, dairy and confectionery to beverages, brewing, wine, aquaculture and water, with matrices ranging from very specific to general. In every case, the real scope is defined by the kit's validation and by the verification carried out by your laboratory.
About TAAG
Review with the TAAG technical team which kit matches your matrix, your target microorganism and the moment when you need to make the decision.
Frequently asked questions
Which TAAG kit is suitable for Salmonella in chocolate or nuts?
In the TAAG catalog, the kit that lists matrices from this group is Elevia 1.1 Salmonella spp.: TAAG validated it in filled chocolates, chocolate bar with peanuts and hazelnut and cocoa cream, and its AOAC certification, by extension of license No. 072601, covers chocolate 62% cocoa, cocoa liquor, skim milk powder, peanuts and stainless steel surfaces. For other nuts, the scope must be confirmed with TAAG.
Which TAAG kits have AOAC certification?
According to the catalog, Elevia 1.1 Salmonella spp. (license extension No. 072601), Ampliora 3.9 F39 (license extension No. 032501) and Specio 4.1 (license extension No. 072101). Each certification covers the matrices evaluated in its study.
If a kit says "food, beverages and surfaces", can I use it on any product?
Not automatically. You must review in the technical documentation whether your matrix is covered and verify the method in your laboratory, as ISO/IEC 17025 requires and as ISO 16140-3 details.
How long does a result take with a TAAG kit?
It depends on the kit and the matrix. The taag.bio explorer publishes full-workflow times of about 26.5 hours for Ampliora kits with enrichment, 17.8 hours for WaterScan and between 2.3 and 6.4 hours for Elevia kits.