Playing Food Safety with Qiagen

As concerns about E. Coli and other food borne pathogens are increasing, investors may find comfort in Netherlands based, Qiagen QGEN. The firm, which specializes in products for pre-analytical sample preparation and molecular diagnostics, has moved into the food safety testing arena with a licensing agreement with Institute for Product Quality. The move will allow Qiagen to sell 70 molecular food safety tests developed Product Quality, to various food producers around the world. Food safety testing is a fast growing business, whose potential is in excess of $2 billion. As last Mays lettuce recall, affecting Sysco SYY and Kroger KR, illustrates that extra testing is need to keep the planets food supply safe. Qiagen hopes to have the first test kits available by year end. Investors may want to add shares of Qiagen to a portfolio as an overall play on increasing populations requiring more and safer sources of food.