Last month, FOSS and Mérieux NutriSciences announced a strategic partnership for improving food safety. The strategic collaboration between FOSS and Mérieux NutriSciences incorporates their respective strengths in innovating platforms for testing and QC, as well as R&D and analysis solutions in the food testing sector. The collaboration between FOSS and Mérieux NutriSciences highlights the growing trend of companies forming strategic partnerships to provide comprehensive workflow services for instrumentation, calibration, testing, analysis, training, support and consultation through working with a single entity.

A leader in the food analysis industry, FOSS develops and manufactures analytical instruments, including FT-IR and NIR systems, for routine testing. It also provides analytical solutions for quality and processing control in the chemical, agricultural, food and pharmaceutical industries. The company primarily creates analytical instruments for dairy, wine, biofuels, grain and milling, meat and milk testing.

Mérieux NutriSciences is also a leader in food testing and analysis services. The company partners with clients to answer demands of analysis, consulting, testing and contract research in the water and environment, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, consumer goods and agrochemical industries. With over 80 accredited labs around the world, Mérieux NutriSciences has established itself as a leader in the nutrition and food safety fields.

Partnering with an independent testing lab such as Mérieux NutriSciences is a novel type of alliance for FOSS, though they have had similar partnerships in the past. “We have in the past, and still do, collaborated closely with commercial food and agriculture labs in order to continuously improve our global NIR and FT-IR calibrations,” said Peter Skade, vice president of Sales and Marketing for FOSS’ Europe and Global Accounts. “However, the strategic partnership with Mérieux NutriSciences goes beyond this, as we are also aiming at developing new services together that will be offered to our respective customers.” The partnership also marks the first time Mérieux NutriSciences has partnered with an analytical instrument company for a strategic collaboration, as well.

The partnership seeks to develop enhanced analytical instruments for the food industry, as well as improved services for food authenticity and adulteration as well as higher efficiency in routine testing. FOSS and Mérieux NutriSciences intend to provide a comprehensive service to their customers that serves as a one-stop, well-rounded plan for their customers’ needs, such as packaged offers for seamless service, instrument setup, maintenance and calibration, as well as joint updates for cost effectiveness and productivity based on changing regulations.

As the partnership was announced last month, the wheels for innovation have already been set in motion. “We have several initiatives ongoing with different time lines, from short-term commercial launches to longer-term development cycles,” Agnès Houpiart-Dupré, Strategic Projects director at Mérieux NutriSciences told IBO. “Some first pilots should start in Q3/Q4 2016, with new offers tested with selected customers at that time, and a larger launch planned [for] around Q1/Q2 2017.” Certain projects are also launching simultaneously. “We have several areas of collaboration on the drawing board, ranging from testing of new, groundbreaking fast methods [of food testing] to exploring how our respective IT-based infrastructure solutions can be integrated to the benefit of our customers,” said Mr. Skade. “Some of these projects are already running in parallel, and others will be matured and qualified during the coming 6-to-12 months.”

The areas of food testing FOSS and Mérieux NutriSciences are concentrating on are dependent on customer needs and demands. “Dairy-based products are the focus to begin with, as this is where we see the most customer interest,” said Mr. Skade. “At the same time, this is an area where FOSS has a lot of know-how and already [has] ‘off-the-shelf’ applications for targeted as well as untargeted screening.” The testing will incorporate FT-IR and NIR.

The coming together of an analytical instrument company with a testing lab brings with it certain challenges. Tackling the complex, legislative-bound food industry is no easy task, thus the opportunities for innovation and development are great. “Due to the fact that the possibilities are enormous, the biggest challenge right now is to stay focused and try not to do too many things at the same time,” explained Mr. Skade. Additionally, establishing a presence as a joint powerhouse in the food safety industry is key. “A main challenge to overcome [with this partnership] is to raise the awareness of our respective strengths and assets through the teams,” stated Ms. Houpiart-Dupré. “[We want to] make sure we focus our efforts on initiatives that will bring significant added value for both partners.”

The respective strengths of the companies bring many opportunities to provide an all-purpose service to their customers for productivity. “Both parties have complementary expertise in the field of food testing,” said Mr. Skade. “FOSS is a world leader in fast, indirect analytical techniques, such as NIR and FTIR, and Mérieux NutriSciences is a world leader in its field of reference testing.”

FOSS and Mérieux NutriSciences expect that combining their forces will create a high standard of service that the companies’ customers will begin to anticipate. “Customers expect us to go beyond our historical area of expertise,” explained Ms. Houpiart-Dupré. “They ask for integrated offers, covering all their needs and constraints, from best-in-class food safety and quality instruments, to the associated services, like calibrations/maintenance, as well as data management and analysis.” She continued, “Additionally, food manufacturers are met with ever-increasing demands from consumers and legislators with regards to food safety. We believe that the benefit of this partnership for our customers is to combine forces and expertise, and better help food manufacturers in meeting those challenges.”

The strategic alliance between FOSS and Mérieux NutriSciences is a notable union for food testing and safety industry, and the companies’ customers will now be provided with a wide-ranging, end-to-end service. As Ms. Houpiart-Dupré stated, “With integrated solutions, we would ensure constant effective operation, answer customers’ raising needs in terms of cost effectiveness and help them meet increasing regulatory constraints.”