Fish detection system for toxins wins Chinese company invention award

GENEVA - A method for detecting toxins through the reactions of fish embryos has won Chinese company Vitargent International a top prize for inventions, organisers said Friday.

The Grand Prix at the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva went to Vitargent, from Hong Kong, for the natural method of finding toxins.

“The company uses embryos of zebra fish whose reactions make it possible to study more than a thousand toxins at the same time,” organisers said in a statement.

“This method can be used in many areas such as food, medicine, plastic products, cosmetics or any other substance which can enter into contact with people, like water, for example.” The fish embryos would react in between 48 and 72 hours after being exposed to a product being tested for toxicity.

A thousand inventions were under review and a total of 55 were given awards.