3M Food Safety has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS) for pathogen detection instruments and kits. The award makes the 3M Molecular Detection System the primary method to be used by USDA FSIS for the detection of Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes and E. coli O157 (including H7) – three major pathogenic organisms threatening the safety of meat, poultry and egg-related products. The 3M system was chosen after rigorous performance evaluation against other commercially available methods.

“Protecting food, consumers and businesses with innovative and reliable technologies has been at the core of everything we do, so the USDA FSIS’ selection of 3M as a partner is validation of the science and the spirit of our work,” said Polly Foss, 3M Food Safety global vice president. “The 3M Molecular Detection System has proven to be a highly accurate and efficient tool for many food producers globally.”

The 3M Molecular Detection System combines novel technologies – isothermal DNA amplification and bioluminescence detection – resulting in a fast, accurate, easy-to-use application that overcomes some limitations of PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) pathogen testing methods.

It simultaneously accommodates individual, pathogen-specific assays, enabling users in meat, poultry and other food and beverage categories to run up to 96 different tests concurrently for a range of organisms and across various food and environmental samples. The next generation 3M™ Molecular Detection Assays have been consistently validated by leading scientific validation organizations throughout the world (AOAC^® INTERNATIONAL, AFNOR, MicroVal) for a comprehensive variety of sample types.

Individuals interested in learning more about the 3M Molecular Detection System and its various test kits can contact their local 3M Food Safety representative or visit www.3M.com/3MMolecularDetectionSystem.