Project description
On-site DNA test for the food supply chain
Bacteria, allergens and undeclared substances can contaminate raw ingredients and finished products during processing at any stage of the supply chain. This results in huge economic losses. Unfortunately, mitigation measures are expensive, and laboratory tests are time consuming. Consequently, most food products arrive to the market without comprehensive food safety tests, resulting in food recalls. The EU-funded DNAFoil project presents the world’s first portable, completely self administered on-site DNA test. The innovation allows for validating supply chain integrity in 30 minutes, without a lab, equipment and disruption to the process, offering instantaneous testing in the field. DNAFoil system is available for pork, beef, multi-spectrum vegetal detection, and Salmonella, Escherichia coli and Listeria DNA test.
Objective
Counterfeit, contaminated or non-compliant ingredients cost the global supply chain €83.5bn+ annually. Both raw ingredients & finished products can become contaminated with bacteria, allergens & undeclared substances during processing at any stage of the supply chain. Putting the situation under control results in product recalls, health risks assessments & major facility decontaminations.
These expensive mitigation measures could be prevented by proper food testing before it is released to the next step in the food supply chain or to the consumers. Unfortunately, this rarely happens because the laboratories that carry out tests require up to 7 days to produce the results. Such long waiting times are not compatible with the product shelf lives & distribution schedules. As a result, most of food products are brought to the market without comprehensive food safety tests, which results in ~30 food recalls per week both in the EU & the US.
SwissDeCode has developed DNAFoil—world’s first portable, completely self-administered onsite DNA test, allowing food production managers to validate supply chain integrity in 30 minutes with no lab, no equipment & no disruption to the process. It also allows inspectors & food manufacturers to replace current lengthy DNA tests that are performed in the laboratories with instantaneous testing in the field.
DNAFoil already available pork DNA test will be joined by beef detection and multi-spectrum vegetal detection in 2017, shortly followed by salmonella, e. coli & listeria.
We have started commercialization through beta sales in the early access program. Our business model is B2B. Our customers operate throughout the complete value chain—food & drink producers, distributors, retailers, caterers & regulatory agencies.
We are aiming at ~€16.7m in revenues by 2022 with 56 FTEs.
Fields of science
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologybacteriology
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsDNA
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencescomputer securitycryptography
- social scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and managementbusiness models
- engineering and technologyother engineering and technologiesfood technologyfood safety
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinator
1020 Renens
Switzerland
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.