3M announced the complete acquisition of Biotrace International, a Bridgend, UK-based manufacturer and supplier of industrial microbiology products used in food processing safety, health care, industrial hygiene and defence applications. This acquisition allows 3M to provide food processors with a broader range of products that complement the widely used 3M Petrifilm Plate product line.
According to Chuck Kummeth, Vice president, 3M Medical Division, Biotrace International can complement 3M’s core food processing safety business and enable them to expand into adjacent health care markets. Working together, 3M and Biotrace are expected to help food processors to provide healthy and safe food.
The global food industry is continuously seeking improvements to its food safety efforts to ensure customer health. As a long-time provider of microbiological testing products, including 12 variations of the 3M Petrifilm plate is used by global food processors to detect specific organisms in food. Currently, 3M integrates detection systems, antimicrobial products and quality monitoring systems to improve the performance of laboratories of global food suppliers.
Biotrace specialise in the development and manufacture of hygiene monitors, tests for salmonella, listeria and e-coli, ATP-based milk sterility tests and a variety of laboratory supplies for food testing laboratories. In addition to food service products, Biotrace provide rapid tests and laboratory consumables for environmental monitoring and quality control in a wide range of industrial and defence applications.