4 July, 2011
Eurofins Scientific, the global leader in food, environment and pharmaceutical products testing, announces that it is transferring its experience in radioactivity analysis of food and water to its newly created laboratory for Radioactive Material Analysis (RMA) in Japan. Following the powerful earthquake on the 11th of March, 2011 that devastated eastern Japan, and severely damaged the Fukushima nuclear power plant, calls for vigilance over radioactive contamination have raised the demand for testing in food, environment and industrial products in the country.
Eurofins has dedicated resources in its Tokyo laboratory to inspect and analyze materials in the country for radioactive contamination. The Group is transferring to the new dedicated laboratory its technical and scientific expertise in radioactive material analyses in food, accumulated at its Hamburg site over the years following the 1986 Chernobyl Power Plant Explosion and in its Paris’ laboratory, one of the few laboratories officially approved to test drinking water for radioactivity in France, home to one of the largest concentrations of nuclear power plants in the world.
The RMA laboratory allows Eurofins to provide clients with highly reliable analyses identical to those provided by the Group’s laboratories in Germany and France, within a short turnaround time (TAT) of maximum one week. The laboratory utilizes several germanium semiconductor (HP-Ge) and NaI(Tl) scintillation detectors to provide analyses of, among others, radioactive materials I-131, Cs-134, Cs-137 and Ru-103. The Group’s laboratory in Hamburg, Germany, continues to be a global reference in testing services to meet the radiation Safety Certification requirements for exporting to Europe.
In line with its commitment to corporate social responsibility and its efforts to support the communities where it operates, the Eurofins Group will be donating the entire profit from the new RMA laboratory to the Japanese Red Cross and other public organizations engaged in welfare activities in the wake of the disaster. The move to contribute the Group’s core competence to the RMA laboratory also reflects management’s efforts to support the people affected by the tragic event.
For further information please contact:
Kenkichiro Watanabe
Eurofins Japan
Phone: +81 3 5492 7344
E-mail: KenkichiroWatanabe@eurofins.com
Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
Phone: +32-2-769 7383
E-mail: ir@eurofins.com
Notes for the editor:
Eurofins – a global leader in bio-analysis
Eurofins Scientific is a life sciences company operating internationally to provide a comprehensive range of analytical testing services to clients from a wide range of industries including the pharmaceutical, food and environmental sectors.
With about 9,500 staff in more than 150 laboratories across 30 countries, Eurofins offers a portfolio of over 100,000 reliable analytical methods for evaluating the authenticity, origin, safety, identity, composition and purity of biological substances and products. The Group is committed to providing its customers with high quality services, accurate results in time and, if requested, expert advice by its highly qualified staff.
The Eurofins Group is the world leader in food and environmental testing and one of the global market leaders in pharmaceuticals testing. It intends to pursue its dynamic growth strategy and expand both its technology portfolio and its geographic reach. Through R&D and acquisitions, the Group draws on the latest developments in the field of biotechnology to offer its clients unique analytical solutions and the most comprehensive range of testing methods.
As one of the most innovative and quality oriented international players in its industry, Eurofins is ideally positioned to support its clients’ increasingly stringent quality and safety standards and the demands of regulatory authorities around the world.
The shares of Eurofins Scientific are listed on the NYSE Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (isin FR0000038259, Reuters EUFI.PA, Bloomberg ERF FP).
Important disclaimer:
This press release contains forward-looking statements and estimates that involve risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements and estimates contained herein represent the judgement of Eurofins Scientific’ management as of the date of this release. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees for future performance, and the forward-looking events discussed in this release may not occur. Eurofins Scientific disclaims any intent or obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements and estimates. All statements and estimates are MADE based on the data available to the Company as of the date of publication, but no guarantee can be made as to their validity.