Neogen Corp. is announcing the launch of Molecular Detection Assay - Listeria Right Now, a rapid, enrichment-free solution for detecting Listeria species in the environment. The new tool is being introduced at the 2025 International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting, taking place July 27–30 at the Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

With a time-to-result of approximately two hours, Listeria Right Now helps enable food safety professionals to make faster, more informed sanitation decisions.

“When it comes to Listeria, every hour counts. Listeria Right Now was designed to give food safety teams answers fast enough to act before a risk becomes a recall,” said Dr. Jason Lilly, chief scientific officer at Neogen. “The method is precise, practical, and easy to deploy. We’re excited to show how it can strengthen environmental monitoring programs in real-world settings.”

Additional benefits of Listeria Right Now include a streamlined, user-friendly testing process and a uniquely designed sampling device that is easy to use for a variety of surface types.

Listeria Right Now pairs a user-friendly sample collection device designed to efficiently swab surfaces up to 12 inches by 12 inches and access narrow cracks and crevices, with a reagent system. Each reaction tube includes blue, color-coded pellets that contain all of the reagents necessary for detection. These pellets reconstitute easily when pipetted, helping to streamline lab workflow and improve consistency.

Listeria Right Now is powered by Neogen’s Molecular Detection System, which features intuitive software, color-coded assays for more precise tracking, and the ability to test up to 96 samples per run. The system supports simultaneous testing across multiple qualitative assays, enabling labs to maintain workflow flexibility without added complexity.

Real-world food safety challenges

Traditional Listeria detection methods often require 24 to 48 hours and may involve multiple tools depending on surface type and testing needs. For processors in beef and ready-to-eat segments, these delays can disrupt workflows and elevate contamination risk. Listeria Right Now simplifies the detection process and enables interventions to happen during the same production shift.

Built for global applicability, Listeria Right Now offers a practical, high-impact solution for diverse food production environments worldwide, while also supporting the evolving regulatory expectations around Listeria monitoring in the US.

Neogen is showcasing Listeria Right Now at Booth #511 at IAFP 2025. Attendees can experience live demonstrations and speak with Neogen experts about how the system complements the company’s broader food safety diagnostics portfolio.

Source: Neogen Corp.