Thermo Fisher Scientific Wins Food Safety Innovation Award for its Melamine Detection Program in China

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep. 8, 2009-- Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO), the world leader in serving science, today announced that it has received a Ringier Technology Innovation Award for its role in helping Chinese laboratories quickly develop melamine detection capabilities following the discovery of melamine-tainted milk and infant formula in China. The award was presented by Ringier Trade Publishing, which publishes China's leading food industry magazine, Food Manufacturing Journal.

Thermo Fisher provides a comprehensive melamine testing solution for laboratories that comprises sample preparation, instrumentation, consumables and a proven testing method based on a tandem Thermo Scientific liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry system. The method was used as a reference by China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) and its subordinate laboratories to create their own method.

“Thermo Fisher is committed to delivering food safety solutions that help our customers protect the public and meet regulations designed to prevent the many risks associated with product contamination,” said Dr. Stuart Cram, who leads Thermo Fisher Scientific’s global food safety initiative. “This award is a testament to the high level of expertise, energy and investment we have dedicated to food safety, especially in China, in an effort to ensure that we are helping our customers to make the world a safer place.”

Melamine, an inexpensive chemical used primarily in the manufacturing of plastics, and cyanuric acid, a byproduct of melamine, have been linked to food contamination primarily in milk-based products and food additives. Melamine is often added to increase the perceived protein content of milk products, and has also been found in pet foods, eggs and produce. In 2008, officials in China linked several deaths to melamine contamination. This led the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to issue an alert focused on milk and milk-based products from China.

The Ringier Technology Innovation Awards pay tribute to companies in key industries such as food and beverage, packaging, plastics and metalworking. The Awards recognize companies that have made significant contributions for the advancement of industry through increased productivity, economic efficiency, market opportunity creation and improved production processes.