3M announced today it has completed its acquisition of Biotrace International PLC, a Bridgend, UK-based manufacturer and supplier of industrial microbiology products used in food processing safety, health care, industrial hygiene and defense 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. “Biotrace International complements 3M’s core food processing safety business and enables us to expand into adjacent health care markets,” said Chuck Kummeth, division vice president, 3M Medical Division. “Together, 3M and Biotrace will help food processors 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 used by global food processors to detect specific organisms in food, 3M integrates detection systems, antimicrobial products and quality monitoring systems to improve the performance of laboratories of global food suppliers.

Biotrace specializes 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 labs. In addition to food service products, Biotrace provides rapid tests and laboratory consumables for environmental monitoring and quality control in a wide range of industrial and defense applications.

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