FI 'Best Innovation in Food Industry' Gold for EBI Food Safety

FI 'Best Innovation in Food Industry' Gold for EBI Food Safety

November 05, 2007

    LONDON, Nov. 5 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- At FI Europe, the
world's largest food ingredients event, with a record
breaking 23000 visitors and over 1,000 exhibitors in London
this week, a distinguished panel of judges has awarded its
prestigious Gold Award to EBI Food Safety of The
Netherlands. 

    In its fight against Listeria, and other dangerous
bacteria, the food industry has embraced a 'green'
solution, using bacteriophages as the way to go. EBI Food
Safety, first-to-market with a commercial bacteriophage
product, fended off competition from eight other finalists
to scoop the Oscar of the Food Industry, for its LISTEX(TM)
product against Listeria monocytogenes, the deadly food
pathogens. 

    At a glittering ceremony in London's Excel Centre, the
awards came at the end of a day of non-stop deliberation by
the judges. "This year's FI Awards have been the most
exciting ever" said Henry Dixon, chairman of the
judging committee and director of international food
marketing communications agency Barret Dixon Bell. "We
received over 50 entries, and had a really good spread of
innovations and market factors. They were extremely strong
finalists". 

    "LISTEX(TM) is a true innovation, a new approach
to an urgent and growing problem that affects both
consumers and manufacturers" said Dixon, explaining
the judges' reason for choosing EBI Food Safety as the
winner of the Gold Award. The FI Awards, which have been
running since 1994, are one of the most eagerly anticipated
events in the food industry calendar, and this year was no
exception. "I think the FI Awards are particularly
special in that they really make a difference - as
evidenced by the amount of interest that has been shown in
them - journalists from around the globe have been
desperate to find out who has won", said Dixon. 

    LISTEX(TM) effectively eliminates Listeria
monocytogenes, without affecting the other properties of
the food. It is a safe and natural product, which is easy
to apply in a variety of Listeria-susceptible products,
such as hams and hot dogs, cheese, fish and many
RTE-products. It addresses a multi-billion dollar industry
problem, on account of Listeria's high mortality (20-30%)
and ability to grow at refrigerated temperatures and in low
oxygen environments such as packaged foods. First associated
with a food borne outbreak in 1981, killing 7, Listeria
monocytogenes is now responsible for almost half of all
deaths caused by food pathogens. Other potentially fatal
pathogens are Salmonella, Campylobacter and E-coli, for
which EBI Food Safety is also developing bacteriophage
products. 

    EBI Food Safety's CEO, Mark Offerhaus: "We are
honoured by the judges' decision. This choice is a
confirmation from the industry that the use of phages is a
logical one. Last month the largest frozen hamburger
producer in the US went out of business, just two weeks
after it's first ever product recall. The consequences of a
contaminated product reaching the market can be
catastrophic. Use of natural phages translates into
risk-reduction, valued by shareholders and consumers
alike."

    About EBI Food Safety

    EBI Food Safety (http://www.ebifoodsafety.com), located
in Wageningen ("Food Valley"), The Netherlands,
develops and markets natural bacteriophage products against
dangerous food pathogens and is viewed as product leader in
this field. Earlier this year EBI Food Safety was elected
as one of Holland's 25 most promising young enterprises by
FEM Business Magazine. The company's scientific network
includes collaborations with universities and research
centers around the world. 


    For more information, please contact:

     Mark Offerhaus, CEO 
     EBI Food Safety
     Phone: [phone]
     Email: [e-mail] or
[e-mail]