DSM Food Specialties and CMT Srl will be announcing today the acquisition by DSM of CMT Srl, a company dedicated to the production of the Copan Milk Test, a microbiological test for the detection of antibiotic residues in milk.

Since 1974, DSM Food Specialties has been developing Delvotest® (applicable at farmer, dairy industry and regulatory level) to test milk for the presence of antibiotic residues. Delvotest® is a globally recognized leading solution in antibiotic residue testing in milk. The detection of antibiotic residues in milk and milk products is of great economic value at the dairy industry and regulatory level, in order to safeguard the quality of milk and milk products.

In 2007, DSM also introduced a new, fully automated, technology: Delvotest® Accelerator. This unique, fully automated testing system offers milk control stations and dairies the fastest broad spectrum test on the market today. By reducing the number of stages in the milk testing process (compared to using traditional water baths), the Delvotest® Accelerator increases testing output and profitability, and guarantees complete traceability.

CMT Srl is a company belonging to the Copan group. Copan Milk Test research and development started in 1994. The product was launched in 1998 as the first product in the market to integrate nutrients into the test medium with a shelf life of 12 months. The Copan Milk Test has been recognized worldwide and validated by key international scientific institutes and is today the primary reference microbiological test for the detection of antibiotic residues in milk in some of the most important milk control stations and dairies worldwide.

“The market for Antibiotic Residue Testing in milk is of importance to DSM, and one in which we aim to excel. For DSM, quality assurance and food safety have always been at the top of the agenda,” says Alexander Wessels, Business Group Director of DSM Food Specialties. “DSM developed this market with its product Delvotest®, which today is the standard in the industry. The Copan Milk Test is a complementary product line alongside our current line of Delvotest®. It is a valuable addition to our portfolio and assists us further in supplying the right tools to our customers to safeguard the safety of their milk products.

The acquisition of Copan’s Milk Test business fits seamlessly with DSM’s strategic drive, Vision 2010 – Building on Strengths, in which DSM focuses on market-driven growth and innovation, with nutrition being one of the main areas.”

Daniele Triva, General Manager of the Copan group: “The Copan group has the extraordinary opportunity to strengthen its leadership in clinical microbiology, thanks to a new patented technology developed inside Copan's microbiology laboratories. The new technology consists of a fully automated specimen processing system for infectious diseases investigation.

Agreement to DSM's proposal was reached based on the conviction that our know-how would be transferred to the best partner, who is capable of assuring continuity of the science and the value developed for our customers in order to improve the analytical process. This agreement, which is supported by joint consensus within the Copan team, fits perfectly with Copan’s strategy to focus all our energy and resources toward our core business and our new projects.”