bioMérieux and FDA Launch Research Collaboration to Improve Microbial Detection Tools to Combat Foodborne Pathogens

CHICAGO - bioMérieux, a world leader in vitro diagnostics for 60 years, has entered into a strategic research collaboration with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), Offices of Applied Research and Safety Assessment (OARSA) and Regulatory Science (ORS) to develop tools to combat food-borne pathogens. The agreement will pave the way for many innovative projects to improve detection and microbial characterization systems for pathogens that pose a risk in foods.

"bioMérieux is incredibly proud to enter into strategic, collaborative research with the FDA. Our mission is to improve public health worldwide and after 30 years of serving the North American food safety and quality space, we're looking forward to innovating with industry leaders in real-time to solve the country's most complex public health problems with the xPRO Program," said Miguel Villa, Senior Vice President, Industrial Applications, Americas at bioMérieux.

The inaugural collaborative projects between bioMérieux and FDA/CFSAN will focus on using novel technologies to improve the isolation of Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli (STECs), enhance detection of Cyclospora cayetanensis and simplify microbial characterization methods for food-borne pathogens including Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes, among others. The projects are being developed through bioMérieux's xPRO Program, the catalyst that offers cutting-edge molecular diagnostics to quality and safety departments in the food, beverage, and dietary supplement industries since 2021.

"bioMérieux is committed to innovation and the xPRO Program is the result of an ever evolving and increasingly nuanced landscape of existing and emerging food safety and food security challenges. The FDA's ongoing transformation under the proposed Human Foods Program makes this a natural collaboration and we look forward to extensive collaboration to minimize risk and further public health," said Vik Dutta, Senior Director, Scientific Affairs and Market Access, Americas at bioMérieux.

For more information on bioMérieux or the xPRO Program, please visit https://www.biomerieux.com/us/en.html.