PRESS RELEASE

Cadbury Schweppes plc, a leading confectionery and beverage company, has adopted PATHATRIX, a world beating rapid pathogen technology from Matrix MicroScience

Cadbury Schweppes plc announces the adoption of the PATHATRIX Pooling system from Matrix MicroScience, Newmarket UK, for their routine pathogen testing. The PATHATRIX has enabled Cadbury Schweppes to achieve increased sample throughput , and more timely results.

Over the past year, Cadbury Schweppes plc has enhanced its routine microbiological surveillance by increasing both the numbers and diversity of ingredient, environmental and finished product samples. An extensive review of all available rapid diagnostic technologies was done and following the completion of an in-depth study of the PATHATRIX Pooling System, the .PATHATRIX-ULTRA system was selected. Along with other improvements in laboratory capability, this has enabled efficient and effective testing at key manufacturing sites. Consideration is being given to use the technology in selected international locations.

The PATHATRIX-ULTRA Pooling products are AOAC-RI approved for a variety of food pathogens and food types, including difficult sample matrices, and are currently being used by a number of large multi-national companies and government laboratories in North America.

Dr Jeff Banks, Group Director of Food Safety & Quality for Cadbury Schweppes said, "The PATHATRIX system provides Cadbury Schweppes with a validated, science-based solution to the rigorous demands of a highly interdependent and time-critical supply chain. The system integrates well with other technologies and provides a high quality and practical asset for our laboratories."

Dr Adrian Parton C.E.O., Matrix MicroScience said, "Matrix is delighted that Cadbury Schweppes plc, the market leader, has chosen to integrate the PATHATRIX system into their routine testing and HACCP verification programmes

Matrix is a highly innovative company focused on the development of diagnostics for the rapid detection of food-borne pathogens such as Salmonella spp., Listeria spp., Campylobacter spp. E.sakazakii, MAP and E.coli O157. Matrix has achieved multiple AOAC RI approvals for a range of its products. Matrix MicroScience is an international organization with offices, research and production facilities in Newmarket, UK, Chicago and Denver in the USA.

Matrix MicroScience

Background Notes for Editors

1. PATHATRIX - Launched in 2002, the PATHATRIX system requires less than two minutes hands-on time per test and utilises a proven technology, which can be adopted in any microbiology laboratory, with the minimum of retraining. Viable cultures are produced during the test allowing full and detailed analysis of any positive results.

PATHATRIX is unique in that it is the only microbial detection system that can analyse the entire 225ml + 25g sample simultaneously by re-circulating the sample through a "capture phase" where the antibody coated magnetic beads are immobilised.

A standard 25g food sample is homogenised with 225ml of growth media in a stomacher. PATHATRIX capture reagent, which consists of antibody coated magnetic particles specific to the target pathogen, are then added directly to the sample. The sample is loaded onto the PATHATRIX workstation using a Matrix proprietary consumable pack, connecting the sample to the circulatory system in preparation for the Capture-Culture step.

Once loaded, the PATHATRIX workstation is typically pre-programmed to run for 30 minutes at the desired incubation temperature. Upon completion of the run, the target microorganisms are bound onto the phase by the capture reagent. Residual debris and non-specific binding are removed during a single wash step.

The capture phase is disconnected from the system and the capture reagent/pathogen complexes are eluted by washing the phase into a vessel. The captured pathogen complexes are then concentrated into a small volume. The sample can be plated directly onto selective media and incubated overnight for visualization the following morning or be directly analyzed by PCR for a very rapid result.

There are a variety of PATHATRIX tests that enable results to be obtained within as little as 5hrs to 24hrs from point of sample to result.

2. Pathatrix Pooling

PATHATRIX pooling involves taking 50ml sub-samples from 5 individual samples, pooling them to create a 250ml wet composite sample which can then be analyzed by a single PATHATRIX run (see figure below). If the sample is "positive" the original individual samples can be re-tested separately by PATHATRIX to determine which sample(s) is/are positive. However if the wet composite sample is shown to be negative no further analysis of the 5 original samples is required. Thus the PATHATRIX pooling approach can be used as a rapid and cost effective screen for all samples.