German pharmaceuticals and chemicals producer Merck KGaA has acquired US-based BioControl Systems, a leading player in food safety testing. Merck said the acquisition, for which term are being kept confidential, opens growth opportunities for food pathogen testing in the US food and beverage sector in particular.

BioControl’s established rapid detection technology and third-party validated testing platforms complement will allow Merck to offer complete workflow solutions for food pathogen testing, the Darmstadt company said. Together with Merck’s strengths in microbiology, filtration and e-commerce, the “innovative assays and validated kits” produced by the Bellevue, Washingon-based  firm with $34 million in annual sales will establish a strong global presence in food pathogen testing solutions, said Udit Batra, member of the Merck executive board and CEO, Life Sciences.

Batra said the global spotlight on the importance of food safety has grown with the increased incidents of outbreaks and recalls due to food-borne diseases. The pathogen detection kits produced by BioControl – whose key customers are in the meat industry – can help to identify bacteria in foods and ingredients such as undercooked meat, eggs, fresh produce and dairy products contaminated by Salmonella, Listeria, E.coli O157H7 and Campylobacter, he added.

Phil Feldsine, CEO of BioControl, commented that Merck’s global market presence as a leader in laboratory sciences will introduce customer oriented solutions to a much broader base worldwide while providing existing customers with access to the German group’s food safety product portfolio and expertise.

Merck said the acquisition is in line with its life science arm’s goal of expanding in key geographies and providing “a differentiated experience” to customers in applied settings, including food and beverage safety testing while it continues to focus on microbial quality control solutions for pharmaceutical production processes and products, where the business currently has a leading market share.