GE, Oritain Partner on Bovine Serum Traceability

GE Healthcare and Oritain, a New Zealand-based company specializing in the scientific verification of food origins, have launched an independent test-based traceability program to authenticate the country of origin of fetal bovine serum (FBS), a cell growth supplement used for manufacturing biopharmaceuticals and vaccines. FBS is also used in basic research and drug discovery. The country of origin is important because FBS is used in biomanufacturing, and different countries pose different risk levels for virus contamination. Using FBS from low-risk countries is a priority in biomanufacturing.

GE is currently traceability-certified by the International Serum Industry Association. To verify that raw serum from Australia, New Zealand, and the United States is from that country of origin, GE will also put its sera products through a testing process that goes beyond industry-standard traceability practices. With GE’s new testing program, Oritain will perform independent testing on FBS batch samples from Australia, New Zealand, and the US. Oritain’s scientific traceability method does not rely on paper or labels, but rather authenticates the origin of the product itself, according to Oritain in a company press release. 

Source: GE