Thermo Fisher to showcase food safety solutions at AOAC 2009, Philadelphia

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO), the world leader in serving science, today announced that it is featuring its industry-leading range of instrumentation, equipment, consumables and software used for food safety testing at the AOAC International annual meeting and exposition in Philadelphia from Sept. 11-17. Thermo Fisher is showcasing testing solutions for four key applications: pathogens, pesticide screening, veterinary drug residues and traceability, alongside a full portfolio of food safety products on display in Thermo Scientific booths 205, 207, 209 and 211.

“As more instances of contamination reach the public eye, global companies and regulatory agencies are looking for technological solutions that increase testing speed, accuracy and throughput,” said Marc N. Casper, chief operating officer of Thermo Fisher Scientific. “We’re not only focused on increasing instrument performance; we’re also committed to helping our customers implement new methods that make it easier and more cost-effective to isolate and eliminate contamination as early in the food chain as possible.”

Pathogens, including salmonella, e.coli and listeria, are primary causes of food-borne illnesses in humans and can affect a broad spectrum of food products. During AOAC, scientists are demonstrating how a Thermo Scientific Kingfisher Flex magnetic particle processor uses patented technology to isolate bacteria and animal virus RNA from food samples. The company is also exhibiting its Thermo Scientific Arena 20XT, an easy-to-use automated system for the quality control and analysis of food, wine, juice, and other beverages, and the Thermo Scientific Multiskan FC™, a reliable and robust microplate photometer that rapidly detects harmful bacteria, viruses and other infectious agents.

For pesticide screening, Thermo Fisher is showcasing its new Thermo Scientific TraceFinder software and TSQ Quantum Access MAX™ triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, which offers sensitivity at parts-per-trillion for multi-residue analysis of volatile and non-volatile pesticides in food samples while simplifying routine screening, even for novice users. More than 500 pesticides are used worldwide today to improve crop yields, but increased production also means increased risk. Producers not only require solutions that can test for multiple substances at once, but also need to comply with complex requirements that change from country to country.

Thermo Fisher also offers solutions for low-level detection of veterinary drug residues. The Thermo Scientific TSQ Quantum Access MAX meets the strict analytical requirements of food safety and environmental laboratories. The Thermo Scientific Transcend TLX system with TurboFlow™ technology automates sample preparation and maximizes throughput while providing higher sensitivity and detection of drug residues at extremely low levels. Farm-raised animals often receive drugs, both licensed and illegal, to control disease and encourage growth. Traces of banned substances, or unacceptably high levels of legal substances, have been shown to be unsafe for human consumption.

The Thermo Scientific booth also features the award-winning Nautilus LIMS™ (laboratory information management system), used by many food and beverage companies around the world to ensure strict compliance with industry regulations and standards. Nautilus LIMS is scalable from a single user to a multi-user network system and is available in multiple languages, providing one standard user interface that helps companies enforce process standardization across multiple geographies and facilities.

For more information about Thermo Fisher Scientific food safety solutions, please visit the Thermo Scientific booths 205, 207, 209 and 211 during AOAC 2009. Alternatively, please call 1-800-532-4752, e-mail [email protected].

Thermo Scientific is part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science.