Companies to Receive Funds for Developing Food Protection Technologies

The Emerging Technology Accelerator (ETA), an initiative of the Global Food Protection Institute (GFPI) in Battle Creek, MI announced Wednesday it will make investments in two innovative startup companies that have developed products to rapidly detect pathogens in food. Seattle Sensor Systems and nanoRETE were selected from over 40 companies.

“One of the challenges in protecting the global food supply is having field-based technology that will detect potential problems more rapidly,” said Julia Bradsher, President & CEO of GFPI. “Providing entrepreneurial support to nanoRETE and Seattle Sensor will help fast track these technologies to market.”

Acccording to GFPI:

nanoRETE, Inc. provides real-time detection of pathogens using customized nanoparticle biosensors. The company has developed a platform that has the ability to test for numerous pathogens and toxins (anthrax, E. Coli, salmonella, tuberculosis, etc.) using a simple-to-use handheld device which generates screening results in about one hour. The platform technologies were developed at Michigan State University initially in response to specific military requirements for food safety and security.

Seattle Sensor Systems Corporation

Seattle Sensors uses a portable surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technology for the detection of biohazards in food and the environment. This technology is currently embedded in a rugged, portable SPR instrument. The device, based on University of Washington research, will protect food sources by monitoring production and analyzing the factory environment for hazards. This flexible measurement platform can be customized to detect pathogens, allergens, and toxins, quickly ruling out multiple biohazards simultaneously.