Clear Labs, the only automated and intelligent platform purpose-built for food safety testing, today announced the launch of a pilot program that will bring a routine pathogen testing platform based on clinical-grade next-generation sequencing (NGS) to leading food brands and service labs.

Pilot participants will have access to Clear Labs’ advanced NGS platform, bioinformatics, and software for high-volume safety testing. At the end of the pilot, participants will receive a report that compares the accuracy of Clear Labs’ NGS platform to market-leading polymerase chain reaction (PCR) systems.

“Based on existing customers using Clear Labs and third-party validations, we’re confident that our results will be superior to any PCR-based system on the market today,” said Sasan Amini, CEO of Clear Labs. “PCR tests are targeted and therefore limited in their data reporting capabilities. They also have a history of high false positive and false negative rates that costs the industry millions. NGS technologies provide a far more accurate, granular, and comprehensive view of the risks in any supply chain and can compete head-to-head with PCR. This pilot program will open the gates for wide adoption of NGS as the new standard for routine food safety testing.”

The pilot program is already deployed across half of the U.S.’s third-party service labs, as well as major food production companies processing high-volume testing. The company will unveil its new platform at the International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, UT in July, and the new NGS system will become generally available later this year.

"This pilot announcement marks the beginning of what will be a seismic shift in our industry," said Mahni Ghorashi, the Chief Commercial Officer at Clear Labs. "Food companies have always been on the cutting edge of life-science technologies, so it's no surprise that we have seen nothing but enthusiasm from our NGS pilot participants. We're delivering a technology and service that no one else can deliver, and our customers are excited about the once unfathomable possibilities for the future of our industry."

The Clear Labs platform is comprised of the most advanced NGS technology, robust bioinformatics, and the world’s largest molecular database. In addition to its forthcoming routine pathogen food-safety product, Clear Labs has tests in the market for authenticity, GMO, and microbiome testing. It also offers an NGS Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) test that is designed for strain-typing of pathogens, probiotics, and spoilage agents and works in tandem with its software platform to create customized, secure libraries for accuracy and unmatched security.

Clear Labs has over 40 customers globally, including companies located in North America, EU, and APAC, and is currently deployed at leading food brands and service labs around the world.

To learn more about Clear Labs or to inquire about the pilot program, please visit http://www.clearlabs.com/ or email inquiries(at)clearlabs(dot)com.