3M has completed its acquisition of Biotrace International PLC, a Bridgend, UK-based manufacturer and supplier of industrial microbiology products used in food processing safety, health care and other applications. The acquisition allows the company to provide food processors with a broader range of products that complement the 3M Petrifilm Plate product line. Biotrace specializes in the development and manufacture of hygiene monitors and tests for Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli.

The Food Safety & Security Summit has announced two additions. The Target Group, producer of Food Safety World Conference & Expo, has merged its event into the Summit. Additionally, the National Council of Chain Restaurants’ board of directors and Food Safety Task Force will meet at the event, which is scheduled for March 6-8 at the Washington D.C. Convention Center.

Thermo Electron Corp. and Fisher Scientific International Inc. have merged, creating Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., a world leader in providing products and services in the life, laboratory and health sciences industry. The new company is headquartered in Waltham, Mass., and has approximately $9 billion in revenues and 30,000 employees.

(MUST Systems Manager Seminar 10-06.jpg) Computerway Food Systems (CFS) recently held its annual Systems Manager Seminar at the company’s High Point, N.C., headquarters. One of the main topics discussed was disaster avoidance and recovery for critical systems. CFS has developed a critical system review form to help plant managers identify those systems, the effects on production during system failure and the level of continuity that is most cost effective for each system.

Shuttleworth Inc. has been awarded the Lockheed Martin STAR Supplier Award. The award is presented to subcontractors that achieve superb quality and delivery and has been presented to just 86 of Lockheed Martin’s 9,000 vendors. In 2003, Shuttleworth was chosen by the company as a subcontractor on the Automated Packaging Processing System, a package processing modernization system to upgrade the U.S. Postal Service’s existing parcel processing network.

Pacific Ozone Technology, a supplier of ozone systems to industry, has launched Element Ozone, a sister company providing ozone technology for light commercial and consumer applications. Ozone quickly oxidizes contaminants and destroys bacteria and viruses, decomposing to natural oxygen in the process. The countertop product from Element Ozone engineers the power of industrial ozone systems into a compact package for foodservice operators and consumers.

Blue Ribbon Service from Gainco, a leading service organization offering maintenance and repair for weighing and yield management systems, announces the introduction of new tiered service agreements as part of an expanded offering of programs. They provide a wide range of flexible choices that can complement and support plants’ own in-house maintenance activities. Among the offerings are regular inspections for equipment operation, adjustment and calibration, as well as identifying parts or assemblies that are out of alignment, improperly sealer or nearing the end of their service life.