Increasing demand for BSE testing capacities at Eurofins Scientific BSE Test GmbH in Munich

Nürnberg / Nantes

Eurofins Scientific S.A. ( FSE: EFS ), the leading European bioanalytical company, welcomes the EU agriculture ministers´ decision from November 21st to introduce pan-European BSE tests. The decision  should have a positive impact on Eurofins current business activities. Irrespective of the political decisions taken at EU level, the laboratory of Eurofins Scientific BSE Test GmbH in Munich notes an increasing demand for BSE tests. While requests for BSE tests in September and October amounted to 50 units per week, the demand is now up to over 250 units. Increasing queries by trade and industry indicate a further rise in testing volumes.

Eurofins is negotiating with clients from the meat industry and trade with regard to the booking of large testing capacities for the year 2001. In pilot projects with selected clients a comprehensive program for testing procedures, tracking and labelling of BSE tested meat products is currently being developed. The aim is to be able to track down each piece of meat to the BSE tested animal. Thus, Eurofins´ technologies and testing facilities support industry and trade efforts to ensure the security and quality of meat products and bring confidence back to the consumers. Eurofins welcomes the political framework given by EU agricultural ministers - the company will, however, continue to focus its business strategy on the voluntary approach taken by  concerned industries.

Eurofins Scientific holds exclusive and nonexclusive licences for BSE testing from Prionics AG, Switzerland. Tests following the Prionics methodology are being applied in most EU member states as a testing method for the tracking of prions (BSE agents). Furthermore, Eurofins Scientific applies own technologies for the tracking of the origin and composition of biomolecules. Based on a combination of these technologies and software for management of large databases, a patent has been filed, it enables the tracking of meat products sold anywhere in Europe back to the BSE tested animals, wherever it may have been slaughtered. The combination of both technologies leads to an integrated system to ensure that meat products only come from BSE tested animals. Eurofins Scientific BSE Test GmbH was founded in September 2000 in Garching / Munich as a Center of Excellence and has since been in charge for the implementation of Eurofins Scientific business strategy concerning BSE in Germany. Eurofins Scientific is requesting regulatory approval to start testing and applying its technological possibilities in other countries too.

Eurofins Scientific S.A. (FSE: ESF) is a world-leading biotechnology company, active in the bioanalytics sector. The company, headquartered in Nantes, France, was founded in 1987 and has since grown to an international network of 22 companies, operating about 30 laboratories located in Germany, England, France, The Netherlands, Switzerland and the United States. In 1999, the amount of sales was up to 32 million EURO. Since October 1997 (20 million Euro for the first half of 2000). Eurofins has been listed on the Nouveau Marché, Paris and since October 2000 on the Neuer Markt, Frankfurt.

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