000138 Cold Pasteurization Create Safer Food Products

St. Paul, MN - The most advanced tools currently available in food safety for processors of meat, poultry and food will become available through the alliance of Ecolab Inc., the leading supplier of sanitation systems and services to the food, dairy, beverage and pharmaceutical industries, and Ion Beam Applications (IBA), the world's largest sterilization and ionization business.

The combination of Ecolab's sanitation and food surface treatment expertise and IBA's cold pasteurization technology and management services gives food processors the most up-to-date and comprehensive package of techniques to help ensure the safety of their food products. As a result of the partnership, Ecolab will now have exclusive rights to offer the food processing industry IBA's patented accelerator technology systems which offer several times higher throughput than any other current U.S. technology. The partnership will provide food processors with everything from equipment installation and turnkey consulting services to the provision of pasteurization services either on-site at the customer plant or through one of IBA's centers.

IBA's most advanced system, Rhodotron(r) accelerator technology, combines e- beam capabilities with x-ray pasteurization technology in a single unit. The unit delivers both formats at different voltage levels, and offers processors the ability to pasteurize food products that are too thick for conventional e- beam units. Food products can be pasteurized in their finished packaged cartons, saving processors the additional packaging and handling expenses associated with traditional e-beam technology. IBA's cold pasteurization technology and management services are used to control a large variety of the potentially harmful microbes found in foods, the most important of which include E.coli 0157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella.

“Ecolab is committed to offering our food processor customers the very best technology and services available to maintain the highest standards of quality and safety in their food products,” says Bill Mathison, Ecolab vice president and general manager, Food & Beverage, North America. “The addition of IBA's patented leading edge cold pasteurization technology and expertise will provide our customers with a very important weapon in the fight to keep their food products safe for consumers.”

“We believe it is vital for food processors to understand that multiple interventions are required to achieve food safety. Only by combining state-of- the art irradiation capabilities with the best sanitation systems and products available today, can processors really begin to achieve the food quality and safety demanded by today's consumers,” says Pat Adams, president of the Food Safety Division, IBA. “Ecolab is the expert in helping customers maintain the safety of their products and the value of their brands, and we're thrilled to be part of this partnership.”

Ecolab is the leading global developer and marketer of critical environment sanitation systems and services for the institutional, food processing and pharmaceutical markets. Ecolab news releases and other investor information are available on the Internet at http://www.Ecolab.com and by telephone at 800-FACT- ECL.

IBA is the world's largest designer and manufacturer of patented accelerator -based pasteurization systems. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., the Sterilization and Ionization Business of IBA operates a growing network of 37 multi technology centers around the world. In the United States there are 23 facilities providing services to the healthcare, consumer goods, cosmetics and food industries.

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