EBI Food Safety commercialises bacteriophage technology
In the fight against bacteria, life sciences company EBI Food Safety has taken a “quantum leap” with the establishment of its Phage Technology Center in Wageningen in the Netherlands.
The facility will serve as the company's research and development headquarters and will be one of the first facilities to produce bacteriophages on an industrial scale.
In July the first Listex P100 batches against contamination of Listeria Monocytogenes will be shipped to customers in the EU and US. Listeria monocytogenes causes listeriosis, a foodborne disease that leads to the death of about 25% of those infected – the highest fatality rate of all foodborne diseases.
Listeria is a remarkably tough organism that has a high resistance to salt, nitrite, dry conditions and acidity. But it is the micro-organism's ability to multiply under refrigerated conditions that is of particular concern to food processors.
The potential of phages to treat infections and kill foodborne bacteria has been recognised for decades, but EBI Food Safety is the first company to bring a commercial product onto the market. What makes bacteriophages particularly suitable for the fight against bacteria is the fact that they have no impact on plant or animal cells, and are ubiquitous and plentiful in nature, i.e. in water, soil and food products.
"The establishment of our Phage Technology Center is a milestone in the history of phage technology. This will reinforce EBI Food Safety's position as product leader in the field of applied bacteriophage technology and marks a breakthrough in the fight against dangerous bacteria," said EBI Food Safety's ceo Mark Offerhaus.
The company’s facilities in Wageningen are at the heart of the Food Valley, which has become known as an international centre for research and innovation for the food industry. EBI Food Safety already collaborates with a number of companies and institutes in the area.
The company's scientific network includes collaborations with universities and research centres in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium and Italy. It is viewed as a leader in the field of applied bacteriophage technology for food applications.