| April 12, 2007 — bioMérieux, Inc., a leading industrial microbiology and diagnostics company, announces an exclusive distribution agreement with Elisa Systems Pty Ltd., a world leader in the development of food allergen test kits. bioMérieux will market a full line of tests for the detection of allergenic protein residues to customers in the United States and Canada. Food allergen tests will help food companies evaluate products for allergens to ensure consumer safety from allergic reactions, which can be life-threatening.
“This partnership provides an opportunity for bioMérieux to enter the food allergen market and we are very pleased to work with Elisa Systems, the leader in development of new allergen tests,” said Herb Steward, executive vice president and general manager, bioMérieux, North America. “With the addition of food allergen test kits, bioMérieux can now offer our customers a more comprehensive line of food safety solutions.”
An effective screening program for the presence of food allergens will help food manufacturers and suppliers prevent costly product recalls, often due to the presence of undeclared food allergens. The food allergen screening kits are ideal for testing raw materials, material-in-production, finished product and environmental surfaces. Each kit is simple to use and will provide an efficient and cost effective method of screening for the presence of food allergens and residues.
“We are extremely excited about the opportunities created as a result of the signing of this agreement with bioMérieux Inc.,” said Michael Ryan, Managing Director of Elisa Systems Pty Ltd. “Elisa Systems has developed the broadest range of food allergen test kits currently available based on immunoassay technology. Partnering with bioMérieux represents a significant step in developing new market channels and offering the highest level of service and support to customers in the United States and Canada. Customers will have resource to one of the world’s leading food safety companies.”
The food allergen residue kits provide both qualitative and quantitative detection of almond, buckwheat, crustacean, egg, hazelnut, milk (casein), milk (beta lacto globulin), peanut, sesame and soy. These kits utilize an enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) platform that provides the flexibility to be easily interpreted either visually or with an automated microplate/strip reader.
Food Allergens
The incidence of food allergens in the United States and Canada continues to grow. Food allergies account for an estimated 30,000 emergency room visits and 150 deaths per year. Consumers must rely on avoidance to prevent reactions. Therefore, it is critical that foods be tested for the presence of allergens and labeled accordingly. In January 2006 the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 took effect to mandate that all food product labels declare in plain English the presence of any of the “big eight” (milk, eggs, fish, crustacean, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans) specific foods/food groups or protein derived from one of these foods or food groups.
Visit http://www.elisasystems.com for more information.
Media Contact: Paige Sargent; 919-277-1162; psargent@fwv-us.com
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