bioMérieux to Reveal the Latest Food Safety Technology at the International Association of Food Protection Annual Meeting

bioMérieux, a world leader in the field of industrial diagnostics, will showcase its new laboratory solutions for food safety at the International Association of Food Protection (IAFP) Annual Conference held August 3-6 at the Hyatt Regency Columbus in Columbus, Ohio. bioMérieux recognizes the importance of fast, reliable laboratory results in the prevention and quick identification of food-borne illnesses.

bioMérieux’s theme, “Something New Inside,” revolves around several key announcements and new technology demonstrations that will occur at the event. The company will also host its Seventh Annual Scientific Symposium with a keynote address from Dr. Robert Tauxe, M.D., M.P.H., Deputy Director, Division of Food-borne, Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, National Center for Zoonotic, Vectorborne and Enteric Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He will discuss the growing concerns of continued food-borne outbreaks from pathogens including E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella and Listeria as well as provide a CDC perspective on the situation today.

Following the keynote address, an expert panel of industry opinion leaders will open the floor to the audience and tackle key issues and topics of interest, including: The European perspective on E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks and other non-O157 strains, thoughts on what is happening in the produce industry and potential regulatory aspects for the beef industry. This event will be moderated by Michael Brodsky, president, Brodsky Consultants. Brodsky is a past president of the Ontario Food Protection Association, past president of IAFP and past president of AOAC International.

The symposium expert panel includes:

• Michael Doyle, Ph.D., Regents Professor of Food Microbiology and Director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia
• Christine Vernozy, Ph.D., Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Lyon and Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Public Health
• Mimi Healy, Ph.D., General Manager of Bacterial Barcodes, Inc.
• Wendy Warren-Serna, Ph.D., Vice President of Technical Services at Food Safety Net Services (FSNS)
• Randall Huffman, Ph.D., President of the American Meat Institute (AMI) Foundation

The symposium will be held on Tuesday, August 5 at the Hyatt Regency Columbus from 7-9 pm. Registration begins at 6:00 pm.

“We have seen the consequences of food-borne illness in packaged meats and produce over the past year and realize that it is a major public health concern,” said Herb Steward, executive vice president, bioMérieux, Inc. “We are honored to host this symposium and engage with the brightest minds in the food safety industry. The symposium also provides a platform to further discuss the prevention of future produce outbreaks in our country and throughout the world.”

As part of IAFP, bioMérieux will also be hosting a workshop at Ohio State University for registered participants. The hands-on workshop will address the challenges of identifying yeast and mold contamination in food and beverages, causing food spoilage losses and significant food safety and regulatory hazards. The workshop will take place on Friday and Saturday, August 1-2.

bioMérieux will showcase a variety of new products including those used by many food manufacturers, as well as up-and-coming products that will make a profound impact on the industry. Additionally, bioMérieux will feature DiversiLab®, a system that automates the process for tracking the source and spread of microbial infection or contamination, and serves the industrial market by providing quality control for food safety. bioMérieux will also unveil new technology for the VIDAS® immunoassay system. VIDAS® is a proven system for automated pathogen detection and has been used for years in labs all over the world. bioMérieux is enhancing its line of food quality solutions with the launch of two new TEMPO® kits: TEMPO STA, for the enumeration of coagulase-positive staphylococci (S. aureus) and TEMPO LAB, for the enumeration of Lactic Acid Bacteria.

Visit bioMérieux at the 2008 IAFP meeting at booth #313. 

About bioMérieux

A world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics for 45 years, bioMérieux is present in more than 150 countries through 38 subsidiaries and a large network of distributors. In 2007, revenues reached €1.063 billion with 84% 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. Our products are used for diagnosing infectious diseases and providing high medical value results for cardiovascular emergencies and cancer screening and monitoring. They are also used for detecting microorganisms in agri-food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. bioMérieux is listed on the NYSE Euronext Paris market (Code: BIM – Code ISIN: FR0010096479). Other information can be found at www.biomerieux.com.

Media Contacts

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Tim Baker
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bioMérieux
Allan Mohess
Tel: + 1 919-620-2937
allan.mohess@na.biomerieux.com