Partnership will reduce microbial growth on coated cheese products
April 25, 2007 — /BUSINESS WIRE/ — WAKEFIELD, MA — Although some types of cheese feature mold as part of their appeal, for the most part people don’t want cheese covered with mold. When microbes compromise dairy products, your nose is the first to know. Opening a refrigerator that contains moldy cheese products can be a traumatic experience. This is precisely why Agion Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of silver-based antimicrobial solutions, today announced that it has partnered with AgPOLYMER to incorporate its natural, antimicrobial technology into cheese coatings to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria in the waxy case. Agion offers the only naturally safe antimicrobial approved for food processing and food service on the market today. Cheese lovers can now rejoice as Agion’s antimicrobial technology has effectively created self-cleaning surfaces for cheese coatings to make sure microbes are controlled, thus avoiding any traumatic smell experiences your nose could encounter.
“Our partnership with Agion is allowing us to transform the way in which dairy products can be better protected utilizing antimicrobial technology,” said Vittorio Capra, President of AgPOLYMER. “Our experience in creating cheese coating polymers coupled with Agion’s unique technology gives us the platform we need to introduce the first antimicrobial cheese coating to the market.”
There is a growing demand from consumers for manufacturers to introduce new ways to protect food product packages that are highly susceptible to the growth of microbes. AgPOLYMER is striving to offer the latest in antimicrobial technology in its products to prevent the growth of bacteria and mold, by protecting the cheese coating surface. The silver-ion zeolite is directly incorporated into the polymer and then the coating is applied to the cheese.
“Agion continues to deliver advanced antimicrobial solutions for industries where the introduction of antimicrobial technology can be used to enhance product quality,” stated Ginger Merritt, vice president of sales and marketing for Agion Technologies. “We were able to partner with AgPOLYMER to address specific needs that will allow them to market a unique product to the European dairy industry.”
Agion antimicrobials are registered with the EPA for use in food processing facilities and approved by the EPA and FDA for food contact surfaces. The antimicrobials are also EFSA-registered and approved under the European Biocidal Products Directive (BPD). Agion’s antimicrobial is included on the USDA list of non-food compounds for food processing plants, as maintained by NSF. The Agion products have NSF 51 Certification for food processing and food service equipment as well as NSF Standard 42 approval for the incorporation of the technology into carbon block water filter systems.
About AgPOLYMER
AgPOLYMER has a technological heritage of over 40 years of experience in the cheese coating dairy industry. AgPOLYMER is a modern company intended to base its own growth on innovation, with care for the environment, improving the existing products and developing new products to meet the market requirements. AgPOLYMER is strategically placed to serve North European as well as South Mediterranean markets, strengthening more and more its position as a reliable and responsible partner for the international dairy industry. Additional information can be found at http://www.AgPOLYMER.com/.
About Agion Technologies, Inc.
Agion Technologies, located in Wakefield, MA, is a leader in providing customized, natural, antimicrobial solutions based on silver that continuously inhibit the growth of bacteria, mold, and fungus. Agion’s antimicrobial technology is used in consumer, industrial, and healthcare industries and has been incorporated into a variety of products including cell phones, shoes, keyboards, pens, water filters, air conditioning and heating units, medical catheters, ice machines, and faucet handles. Agion’s customers include many leading brands such as Motorola, Sherwin Williams, AK Steel, Carrier, DuPont, Honeywell, Adidas, Sanford/Paper Mate, Ice-O-Matic, Scotsman, Stanley Bostitch, and Oster. Since the company’s founding in 1997, Agion Technologies has led the market for naturally safe antimicrobial solutions with support from private equity funds and strategic partners including BASF Venture Capital, H.B. Fuller Ventures, SAM Private Equity, Motorola Ventures and Paladin Capital Group. For more information about Agion Technologies, visit www.agion-tech.com.
Contact:
Kel and Partners
Michelle DeLuties, 508-366-2099 ext. 122
[email protected]