Invitrogen Corp. has been awarded a contract to provide test kits for detecting possible E. coli contamination in food at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
The Beijing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, and the Olympic Food Safety program will conduct the monitoring program based on World Health Organization food standards.
E. coli is bacteria that can produce a powerful toxin that can cause severe illness and even death when ingested. It often is found in contaminated beef that is undercooked. Other sources of infection include consumption of sprouts, lettuce, spinach, salami and unpasteurized milk and juice.
Revelle Anderson, media relations manager at Invitrogen, said the 20-year-old biotech beat out several other companies that were vying for the contract. She said Invitrogen will supply Beijing with an undisclosed number of Dynabeads technology test kits.
Dynabeads detect E. coli by capturing the bacteria and using magnetic separation technology to isolate the colonies from the contaminated food for easy detection. The test takes less than 20 minutes.
Invitrogen's Applied Markets business unit focuses on the application of technology and research to everyday markets such as food and water safety. Anderson said hundreds of the company's 4,300 employees work in this area because it includes so many of Invitrogen's products.
“Important innovations in the life sciences are happening right here in Carlsbad, as well as at our Invitrogen facilities around the globe,” she said. “It's the collaboration between all of our researchers that allow us to provide tests such as this one. It's part of our quest as a company to improve the human condition.”
China's CDC has sponsored a food safety network for several years using Dynabeads technology.
“Bacteria, particularly E. coli, can present a serious threat to public health at a major global event such as the Olympics,” said Paul Kinnon, vice president of Applied Markets at Invitrogen. “Dynabeads are a reliable, accurate solution for keeping food safe from dangerous bacteria.”
The contract represents the second time Invitrogen products have been chosen for food and environmental safety testing during the Olympic Games. Invitrogen's PathAlert was selected to detect the plague at the 2006 Winter Games in Torino, Italy.
Invitrogen, which trades as IVGN on Nasdaq, provides 30,000 products and conducts business in more than 70 countries. The Carlsbad-based company generated more than $1.15 billion in revenues in 2006. For more information, visit www.invitrogen.com.
The Beijing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, and the Olympic Food Safety program will conduct the monitoring program based on World Health Organization food standards.
E. coli is bacteria that can produce a powerful toxin that can cause severe illness and even death when ingested. It often is found in contaminated beef that is undercooked. Other sources of infection include consumption of sprouts, lettuce, spinach, salami and unpasteurized milk and juice.
Revelle Anderson, media relations manager at Invitrogen, said the 20-year-old biotech beat out several other companies that were vying for the contract. She said Invitrogen will supply Beijing with an undisclosed number of Dynabeads technology test kits.
Dynabeads detect E. coli by capturing the bacteria and using magnetic separation technology to isolate the colonies from the contaminated food for easy detection. The test takes less than 20 minutes.
Invitrogen's Applied Markets business unit focuses on the application of technology and research to everyday markets such as food and water safety. Anderson said hundreds of the company's 4,300 employees work in this area because it includes so many of Invitrogen's products.
“Important innovations in the life sciences are happening right here in Carlsbad, as well as at our Invitrogen facilities around the globe,” she said. “It's the collaboration between all of our researchers that allow us to provide tests such as this one. It's part of our quest as a company to improve the human condition.”
China's CDC has sponsored a food safety network for several years using Dynabeads technology.
“Bacteria, particularly E. coli, can present a serious threat to public health at a major global event such as the Olympics,” said Paul Kinnon, vice president of Applied Markets at Invitrogen. “Dynabeads are a reliable, accurate solution for keeping food safe from dangerous bacteria.”
The contract represents the second time Invitrogen products have been chosen for food and environmental safety testing during the Olympic Games. Invitrogen's PathAlert was selected to detect the plague at the 2006 Winter Games in Torino, Italy.
Invitrogen, which trades as IVGN on Nasdaq, provides 30,000 products and conducts business in more than 70 countries. The Carlsbad-based company generated more than $1.15 billion in revenues in 2006. For more information, visit www.invitrogen.com.