bioMérieux's TEMPO® (Bacillus Cereus) Assay Gains International Approval for Food Safety Testing

bioMérieux, a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, has been granted AOAC Research Institute approval for its TEMPO® BC, an automated quality indicator test for the fast enumeration of Bacillus cereus group bacteria in food products. The AOAC third-party validations provide food professionals with added assurance for high-performance testing standards.

TEMPO® BC provides automated results in 22 to 27 hours, which enables food manufacturers to release their products into the supply chain much earlier than when testing with traditional methods.

Bacillus cereus is a Gram positive, aerobic spore-forming bacterium which, when present in foods improperly stored, can lead to food poisoning.

"bioMérieux is committed to developing high-performing testing solutions to help manufacturers ensure food quality and safety worldwide," said Nicolas Cartier, Corporate Vice President, Industry Division. "The importance of using third-party validation programs such as AOAC is a key component of the Company’s global development."

TEMPO® BC has been validated by the AOAC Research Institute following the Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) method for the enumeration of Bacillus cereus in food products.

About TEMPO®:

Through automation, TEMPO® takes the traditional, labor-intensive MPN method and standardizes numerous analytical steps, improving the laboratory workflow. The fully automated TEMPO® solution offers ease-of-use and fast turnaround time for accurate, standardized and consistent results, enabling food companies to manage the quality and safety of their production. In addition to Bacillus cereus, TEMPO® automates testing for total aerobic counts, coliforms, Enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcus aureus, generic E. coli, lactic acid bacteria and yeasts/molds. For more information visit http://www.biomerieux-industry.com.

About bioMérieux

Pioneering Diagnostics

A world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics for 50 years, bioMérieux is present in more than 150 countries through 41 subsidiaries and a large network of distributors. In 2013, revenues reached €1,588 million with 87% of sales outside of France.

bioMérieux provides diagnostic solutions (reagents, instruments, software) which determine the source of disease and contamination to improve patient health and ensure consumer safety. Its products are used for diagnosing infectious diseases and providing high medical value results for cancer screening and monitoring and cardiovascular emergencies. They are also used for detecting microorganisms in agri-food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.

bioMérieux is listed on the NYSE Euronext Paris market (Symbol: BIM – ISIN: FR0010096479). Corporate website: www.biomerieux.com - Investor website: www.biomerieux-finance.com

Contacts

Media Relations

bioMérieux

Suzanne Jones
Tel: +1 919.479.3637
suzanne.jones@biomerieux.com

Aurore Sergeant
Tel.: + 33 4 78 87 38 66
media@biomerieux.com

Pascal Cruveiller
Tel.: + 33 4 78 87 50 19
indusmicro@biomerieux.com

Baker & Yorke

Tim Baker
Tel: + 1 216-338-8086
tbaker@baker-yorke.com