Clean Water, Safe Food Supplies

Clean water and an abundant food supply may seem to be only emerging world concerns, but as we have learned recently, with Salmonella and E. coli scares in lettuce and peanut butter in the U.S., a safe food supply is truly a global issue. The life sciences are emerging as a critical player in the quest to end hunger, alleviate poverty, and reduce water- and food-borne illness.

We have expanded our portfolio of food safety testing solutions with new kits and software aimed at improving detection of Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes in food. These kits are in widespread use and becoming certified through the Emergency Response Validation program of the AOAC Research Institute, one of the world’s leading food industry standards organizations, in response to the outbreak of Salmonella contamination in the U.S. peanut butter supply.

Spotlight on Korea:
Across the globe, the Korean government is utilizing Life Technologies genetic analysis tools to trace the origin of beef crossing their borders, in an effort to address problems with contamination in imported beef products. Armed with this vital information, animal disease control is not limited to quarantines and inspection, but is a proactive process that helps protect the Korean population from contaminated meat.