bioMérieux has entered an agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to collaboratively develop tools to combat foodborne pathogens, like improved detection and microbial characterization systems.

The inaugural projects between bioMérieux and FDA will focus on using novel technologies to improve the isolation of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), enhance detection of Cyclospora cayetanensis, and simplify microbial characterization methods for foodborne pathogens including, but not limited to, Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. The projects are being developed through bioMérieux's xPRO™ Program, the catalyst that offers molecular diagnostics to quality and safety departments in the food, beverage, and dietary supplement industries.

The specific FDA offices involved in the collaboration are the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), the Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment (OARSA), and the Office of Regulatory Science (ORS).