Thermo Fisher Scientific launches melamine detection programme

Thermo Fisher Scientific has this week announced a programme which aims to help government and commercial food testing laboratories in melamine analysis.

Products imported from China will be specifically targeted in the scheme, which follows a recent alert issued by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The industrial chemical melamine – which is mainly used in the production of plastics – and its by-product cyanuric acid have been connected to food contamination, particularly in food additives and milk-based products. It has been related to deaths in China, Thermo Fisher explained.

Marc N Casper, chief operating officer, said the company "is able to provide a complete testing solution – including sample preparation, instrumentation, consumables and methods support – necessary to enable a laboratory to perform the sample analysis according to FDA alert requirements".

People in science sales jobs may also be interested in Thermo Fisher Scientific’s acquisition of UK histology and anatomical pathology product manufacturer Raymond A Lamb, announced last month.