Dietz & Watson Speeds Food Safety Testing With Sample6

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwired - Oct 21, 2014) - Continuing its mission to be a food industry innovator, top food maker Dietz & Watson today announced the expansion of its food safety and quality control initiative in its Philadelphia meatpacking facility. Dietz & Watson now uses Sample6 technology to test, find and remediate the Listeria pathogen before any products leave the plant.

"Sample6 gives us a new way to rapidly sample and test, in-plant and during a single production shift. That means we can proactively ensure consumer safety and prevent recalls -- only fully tested products ever leave our warehouses," noted Bob Seaver, director of quality control for Dietz & Watson. "We are committed to operating pathogen-free plants, and we will do everything possible to uphold our reputation for healthy, safe and delicious meats and cheeses."

Before Sample6, food companies were forced to rely on Listeria testing tools that could not offer the speed, control and efficiency needed to truly improve safety, mitigate recalls and keep consumers safe. Bacteria testing took days, allowing potentially contaminated food to get into the hands of consumers.

Sample6 modernized the pathogen detection process -- reducing testing time to a single shift. Continuing its mission to take a proactive approach to consumer safety, Dietz & Watson jumped at the chance to make its food production environment even safer when Sample6 first introduced DETECT/L™. DETECT/L is the only enrichment-free, single-shift pathogen diagnostic for Listeria species available on the market. Previously forced to depend on available technology and send swabs to third-party labs for testing, Dietz & Watson now tests all of its environmental Listeria samples onsite every week.

"Sample6 makes my job much easier," added Carla Mulhern, a Dietz & Watson microbiologist. "I love getting accurate results so quickly to keep up with our facility's production. I was able to train my staff in just a few days, and none of us miss the complexity of the previous testing methods."

Dietz & Watson now has better control of its food-manufacturing environment at the plant level. The Philadelphia plant tests samples and get results in hours -- within the same production shift. Rapid detection also means timely cleanup and significantly lowers the chance of producing or distributing contaminated food.

"Consumer health depends on our food chain. Food safety professionals all want to produce safe, pathogen-free foods, and industry leaders like Dietz & Watson are paving the way for a complete transformation in the way food manufacturers handle pathogen detection," said Sample6 CEO Tim Curran. "We're turning pathogen detection from reaction to prevention for the food industry and hope to save lives along the way."

Based on the successful deployment at the Philadelphia plant, Dietz & Watson plans to leverage Sample6 at all plants before end of year.

About Dietz & Watson
When Gottlieb Dietz founded our company in 1939, he set out to produce the tastiest deli meats in the Philadelphia area. Today, we are one of the largest preparers of premium deli meats and artisan cheeses, offering more than 400 products at the finest supermarkets and neighborhood delis throughout the United States and the world. But we may be most proud of what hasn't changed: after 75 years, Dietz & Watson is still a family owned and operated business, now in its fourth generation. We are still pioneers and innovators, constantly pursuing even more healthy recipes to suit a wide range of dietary needs. Most of all, we are still passionate about what we do best -- providing fresh and delicious deli products, from our family to yours. The company is headquartered in Pennsylvania, with facilities in Maryland and New York.

About Sample6
Sample6 is making food safer by delivering two powerful tools to the food industry, Sample6 DETECT™ and Sample6 CONTROL™. Sample6 DETECT is an enrichment-free, on-site, in-shift pathogen diagnostic. This advancement paired with powerful analytics from Sample6 CONTROL will shift food safety from reaction to prevention, which is the primary goal of the FSMA and HAACP initiatives in the United States. Food processors from meat, seafood, dairy, produce, dry goods have already partnered with Sample6 in order to integrate these revolutionary products into their plants. For more information, please visit www.sample6.com.