Qiagen acquires portfolio of molecular food safety tests

Qiagen says it has entered into an agreement with the Institute for Product Quality (ifp), pursuant to which the company has acquired all rights to 70 molecular food safety tests developed by the Berlin-based specialized laboratory center for food analysis.

The transaction further strengthens its "Applied Testing" business segment, which also encompasses molecular testing systems for forensic applications, veterinary medicine and biodefense.

No financial details were disclosed.

The tests acquired from ifp are based on the widely used real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology that cover a broad range of molecular targets including genetic, bacterial, viral and other contaminants of foodstuffs.

The tests can be fully automated using the company’s instruments such as the QIAsymphony and the Rotor-Gene Q.

Molecular tests, and in particular real-time PCR-based assays, are gaining more widespread use in such applications as they are significantly faster and more reliable than traditional methods and also allow for the detection of genetic targets.

With their help, for instance, food producers can obtain certainty as to the safety of their planned deliveries within less than 24 hours.