27 Jan 2010 --- Ecolab Inc. has entered into an agreement with AvidBiotics Corp. under which they will jointly work to develop a new technology that could significantly reduce the presence of the pathogen E. coli O157:H7 in red meat products.

The companies' intent is to successfully commercialize AvidBiotics' proprietary protein-based antibacterial technology, which can be targeted against specific bacterial pathogens. While this platform technology may be applicable to numerous food pathogens, the companies are first targeting the food pathogen E. coli in red meat. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 70,000 people are infected with E. coli each year in the United States, at least 2,000 are hospitalized, and approximately 60 die as a direct result of E. coli infection and its complications.

Timothy Mulhere, Ecolab's senior vice president and general manager for Food & Beverage North America, commented, saying, "Ecolab is committed to helping customers reduce their food safety risks, offering multiple interventions to help ensure a safer global food supply. We will work with AvidBiotics to further develop this platform technology to complement and further strengthen our industry-leading suite of antimicrobial food safety solutions for the food processing market."