Today Sample6 announced a new patent for phage engineering technology. Issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the patent, “Recombinant Phage and Methods”, is the first awarded to the company.

“As an industry, we need to set a new bar for food safety programs – widespread illness outbreaks and massive recalls should not happen in this day and age,” said Tim Curran, CEO of Sample6, in a company release. “Contaminated food should be found and stopped before it ever enters the food chain.”

The Sample6 DETECT/L system is the first in-plant, in-shift pathogen detection for Listeria. A continuation of the company’s effort to prevent contaminated foods from leaving food processing warehouses and distribution centers, the phase-based bacterial detection assay has been approved by USDA and AOAC.