RAPID OAT PRODUCT TESTING FOR “COOK” QUALITY

Clearly a major concern of oat millers and processors using oat products is shelf life and stability. Several enzymes — primarily lipases, lipoxidases and peroxidases — are involved in both hydrolytic and oxidative rancidity. Thermal inactivation of these enzymes is accomplished by kilning or otherwise heating the oats, groats or milled product.

Because throughput in modern oat mills is so rapid and the demands for quality products at very competitive prices is so great, there are no margins for error. Rapid tests are needed to evaluate “cook quality” right at the point of sampling in the mill and without any specialized laboratory equipment.

OAT-CHEK I was developed to solve the hydrolytic rancidity part of this challenging stability problem. OAT-CHEK I takes approximately 10 minutes to determine lipase activity. When all the lipase enzymes are inactivated, oat products are light-colored, lightly flavored and have minimum hydrolytic rancidity potential. OAT-CHEK I can be made semi-quantitative if the sample is weighed (no balance included in the kit). Oat flavor changes according to time, temperature and moisture variables during processing and OAT-CHEK I can be used to monitor a particular desired “cook point” of minimum hydrolytic rancidity. Thus OAT-CHEK I can be used to establish in-house standards, quality assurance data and for sample comparisons.

We think you and your production and quality assurance staffs will be pleased with the ease and speed of OAT-CHEK I. The kit comes complete with a spot plate for the reaction, a small volumetric measure for mixing the reagents (no pH adjustments necessary), a spatula, reagents, and instructions. Each kit contains enough reagents for about 500 tests including controls.

Here at last is a cost effective test with a production orientation. Let OAT-CHEK I keep you on the competitive edge of rapid “cook quality” testing technology.

Price Schedule

Lipase Detection: Hydrolytic Rancidity

Complete Kit	$350.00 each	approximately 500 tests
Replacement Kit	$325.00 each	reagents only

Instructions

1. Place a small amount of sample into one well of the reaction plate. [weigh out 0.1 gram of ground sample if you wish to have semi-quantitative results; see scale below.] Also place one paper disc (blank) into a separate well to serve as a control.

2. Prepare Reagent A by mixing Color Reagent to Assay Buffer in a 1:10 ratio. [i.e. 1 drop to 10 drops or 1 mL to 10 mL] Make Reagent A fresh daily or every few hours if the room temperature is above 75o F (24o C).

3. Moisten the sample and blank with 5 or more drops of freshly prepared Reagent A in well of the reaction plate. [Make sure that the sample is fully wetted and excess reagent remains: if it is all absorbed by the sample add additional reagent.]

4. Allow mixture to react at room temperature for 10 to 30 minutes, preferably in the dark. The reaction plate may be covered with to give dark conditions.

5. Any blue color is a positive test. Evaluate visually the active lipase concentration [if the sample was weighed] by the blue color according to the following scale:

Intense blue* Medium blue Light blue Trace of blue No blue color
0.1 units of lipase per 0.1 g oats
0.01 units of lipase per 0.1 g oats
0.001 units of lipase per 0.1 g oats
0.00001 units of lipase per 0.1 g oats
Less than 0.00001 units of lipase per 0.1 g oats

• Use ground raw oat groats to establish the intense blue level.

Material Safety Data Sheet

OAT-CHEK I is a lipase enzyme activity test kit containing reagent buffers and a proprietary chromogenic substrate solution. The buffers and substrate solution (an acetone mixture) contain no components that require Material Safety Data Sheets. The reagent concentrations are at physiological levels for the enzymes being tested. However, we urge you to use appropriate caution as you would with any other laboratory solvents and reagents.

DO NOT DRINK. KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN.

OAT-CHEK I spills (including Color Reagent, Assay Buffer, or Reagent A mixture and any remaining old or spent solutions) may be wiped up with paper towels or tissues and surfaces, including skin, washed with detergent and rinsed well with water. Eyes should be rinsed immediately with clean water and, if irritated, treated with any gentle, over-the-counter-type eye rinse solution. Eye protection is recommended when using OAT-CHEK I solutions or any other laboratory reagents.

Any Color Reagent, Assay Buffer, or Reagent A mixtures and spent or inactive solutions may be disposed of safely through dilution via a normal septic system. Shelf-life of the reagents vary according to storage conditions and test kit reagent activity can be checked against raw oat groats that are lipase active. All OAT-CHEK I components are biodegradable.

The information above is believed to be correct and to represent accurately the best available technical knowledge.

We assume no liability for the misuse of OAT-CHEK I nor imply any additional warranty beyond its use as a rapid test solution for lipase activity determinations.