Eurofins Drafts in More Resources to Deal With Demand For Horse DNA Testing

Eurofins, whose specialist DNA Analysis Centre in Germany, Medigenomix was one of the first independent laboratories to confirm contamination of beef with horse meat in Ireland has seen a significant increase in testing requirement, resulting in the company drafting in more experts, investing in new instrumentation and calling in equipment from its other specialist laboratories within the Group to deal with the volume of testing.

22 Feb 2013 --- Liz Paterson Sales and Marketing Director for Eurofins Food Testing in the UK said: “We have taken hundreds of enquiries over the last few weeks and have drafted in extra resource. In some cases we have actually been driving overnight to Ebersberg to ensure that the samples get to the lab in the fastest possible time. Eurofins Medigenomix is one of the few laboratories that offers accredited Real Time PCR testing for up to seven species, giving semi quantitative results in 48 hours”.

“Across the Group and in Wolverhampton, Eurofins can offer alternative cheaper methods including ELISA and qualitative PCR but at this time, the industry wants the peace of mind of that accredited testing to a wide range of species is being performed”.

Eurofins is also able to offer other analysis, such as for the veterinary drug phenylbutazone or ‘bute’ - also implicated in the horse meat scandal and arrange for testing of other contaminants such as dioxins and heavy metals.