Merck Expands EZ-Product Family for Faster, More Efficient Bioburden Analysis and Microbial Detection in Beverages

• EZ-Fluo™ system enables non-destructive, accelerated detection of microbial contamination compared with traditional methods
• EZ-Fit™ Manifold minimizes contamination during laboratory filtration
• EZ-Pak^® Dispenser Curve enables fast, sterile membrane dispensing with no-touch operation

January 29, 2013, Darmstadt, Germany — Merck, the Life Science division of Merck, has announced the addition of three new products to its EZ-product family, which is designed to facilitate microbiology workflow in quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) laboratories. The EZ-product family now includes the EZ-Fluo™ rapid detection system, a non-destructive, fluorescent staining-based system for microbial detection, the EZ-fit™ Manifold for contamination-free laboratory filtration and the EZ-Pak^® Dispenser Curve for fast, sterile membrane dispensing. 

“Increasingly, companies are looking for improved approaches to their quality assurance and quality control programs that are both streamlined and effective. The EZ-product family provides a complete, integrated solution to streamline microbiological workflows, creating a more efficient laboratory, and reducing the risk of contamination,” explains Frederic Amstoutz, Product Manager for the BioMonitoring business field of Merck.

The EZ-Fluo™ rapid detection system reduces time to result by approximately 2/3 of that required by traditional methods, allowing contamination events to be identified sooner and enabling better control of the manufacturing process. The system uses standard membrane filtration to detect viable and culturable bacteria, yeasts and molds down to 1 CFU per sample. EZ-Fluo™ test results are easily comparable to compendial method test results, which facilitates validation and integration of the system in any laboratory. The EZ-Fluo™ method is non-destructive, allowing growth of microorganisms after they have been stained in order to identify them using any standard identification technology. This is a significant advantage compared to other rapid test systems which cannot identify microorganisms using the same sample that was tested to detect the contamination.  

The EZ-Fit™ Manifold filtration systemenablesuniversal laboratory filtration, while minimizing contamination risks. Traditional filtration equipment for water and other liquids contains non-accessible areas where biofilms can form from sample residues, increasing the risk of contamination.  The EZ-Fit Manifold™ allows access to easily clean all internal areas in order to ensure the filtration process is contamination-free.

The EZ-Pak^® Dispenser Curve provides high-speed sterile membrane dispensing with no-touch operation. Unlike other dispenser systems, the EZ-Pak^® Dispenser design allows for quick and easy membrane loading in less than 30 seconds, making lab personnel more efficient.

The product family also includes the EZ-Stream™ vacuum pump, launched at the end of 2011. The EZ-Stream™ pump for microbiological analysis allows direct transfer of liquids and eliminates handling of liquid waste containers.  Without the need for additional containers to capture waste liquid, the EZ-Stream™ pump requires significantly less time than traditional vacuum/pressure pumps and in-house vacuums and generates less noise. It also handles both liquids and gases, making it suitable for various life science laboratory applications.

Additional Resources

• www.merckmillipore.com/EZ-Fluo
• www.merckmillipore.com/EZ-PakCurve
• www.merckmillipore.com/EZ-Manifold
• www.merckmillipore.com/EZ-Stream

About Merck
Merck is the Life Science division of Merck KGaA of Germany and offers a broad range of innovative, performance products, services and business relationships that enable our customers’ success in research, development and production of biotech and pharmaceutical drug therapies. Through dedicated collaboration on new scientific and engineering insights, and as one of the top three R&D investors in the Life Science Tools industry, Merck serves as a strategic partner to customers and helps advance the promise of life science.

Headquartered in Billerica, Massachusetts, the division has around 10,000 employees, operations in 67 countries and 2011 revenues of EUR 2.4 billion. Merck operates as EMD Millipore in the U.S. and Canada.

Note: Merck KGaA or Merck shall mean Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

About Merck’s BioMonitoring Business Field
Since Merck and Millipore joined forces in 2010, Merck BioMonitoring has become a top player in the field of industrial microbiology and process monitoring. This business field provides state-of-the-art testing methods, regulatory expertise and outstanding service to provide that one invaluable result: maintaining the safety of your products. Focus markets include Pharmaceutical, BioPharma, Food and Beverage, Environmental and Cosmetics.

The M logo, Merck, EZ-Fit and EZ Fluo TM are trademarks and  EZ-Pak is a registered trademark of Merck KGaA.